Alvis Saracen

The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed and produced by Alvis from 1952 to 1976. It has been used by a variety of operators around the world and is still in use in secondary roles in some countries. The Saracen became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the Troubles' Operation Banner in Northern Ireland, as well as for its role in the South African government's enforcement of apartheid.

The FV603 Saracen was the armoured personnel carrier of Alvis's FV600 series. Besides the driver and commander, a squad of eight soldiers plus a troop commander could be carried. Most models carried a small turret on the roof, carrying a Browning .30 machine gun. A .303 Bren gun could be mounted on an anti-aircraft ring mount accessed through a roof hatch and there were ports on the sides through which troops could fire. It saw extensive use into the 1980s in Northern Ireland and became a familiar sight, nicknamed 'Sixers', during The Troubles. At times, they appeared on the streets of Hull, a less-hostile atmosphere for driver training in a city of similar appearance to Belfast, and only a few miles from the Army School of Mechanical Transport. In Northern Ireland Saracen was retrofitted with additional armour, seatbelts for crew and harness for passengers, and internal padding, all of which increased protection for the crew but added to the weight of the vehicle, resulting in some engine failures. The modifications were however successful, a retrofitted Saracen of 1st Royal Tank Regiment (Omagh, Co Tyrone) only weeks after its upgrade was blown up by a culvert bomb, the commander and driver suffered some minor cuts and bruises but the soldiers in the back strapped in with their safety harness's were unharmed and vacated the vehicle without issue.

As a member of the FV 600 series, it shared a similar chassis to the FV601 Saladin armoured car, the Salamander airfield crash truck, and the Stalwart high mobility load carrier. The punt chassis, suspension, and H-drive drivetrain remained similar, but the engine, transmission, and braking systems varied significantly.

The Saracen was in turn used as an armoured personnel carrier, armoured command vehicle, and ambulance. The FV 603 model saw many variants in detail, including radio or command fitments and specialist equipment for artillery or signals use.

The Saracen series also includes:

Saracen was produced before Saladin because of the urgent need for a personnel carrier to serve in the Malayan Emergency, entering production in 1952.

The Saracen was produced both with and without turrets fitted. They are popular with collectors due to their prices being as low as $20,000 in Australia and $11,000 in the Czech Republic.

Saracens were initially equipped with an L3A4 (0.30-inch Browning) machine gun in the turret, and a Bren light machine gun for the gun-ring at the rear of the vehicle. Later Marks carried the LMG and L37 GPMG.