Osprey New Vanguard 10 : Warrior Mechanised Combat Vehicle 1987-1994

The Warrior has been an important component of the British Army since the first production example of the vehicle was handed over in May 1987. A considerable improvement over the earlier FV432 APC, having both greater protection and battlefield manoeuvrability, the Warrior not only exists in large numbers within British Armed Forces, but is also advertised in slightly different form to many overseas customers. The vehicle has seen action in many parts of the globe including Bosnia and during the Gulf War, in which three were destroyed. Christopher Foss examines the development and operational life of the British Army's most modern armoured personnel carrier. Its inception and design are looked, at as are its control systems and armament. Much attention is given to variants of the basic Warrior, numerous as they are. The British Army alone uses eight different specialised versions of the vehicle and Desert and Arctic Warriors are also produced for countries with extreme climates. Modifications to Warriors are studied: in particular the author investigates the changes made for Operation 'Desert Storm'. The vehicle's role in this and other campaigns is investigated, as is its purpose today. Finally, both prototypes and future developments are examined, giving a picture of Warrior variants' future capabilities. Illustrations by Peter Sarson.

Contents

• Design and Development
• Inside the Warrior
• Operational History
• British Army Variants
• Export Variants
• Prototype Variants
• Desert Storm Modifications
• Future Developments