All members of the CVR(T) family were designed to share common automotive components and suspension; aluminium armour was selected to keep the weight down.

[6] In the early 1960s, the United Kingdom's overseas commitments were proving costly to garrison and were a drain on the defence budget.

The vehicle would mount a 76 or 105 mm main gun in a limited-traverse turret, which also housed the three-man crew; namely: driver, gunner and commander.

[3] To reduce weight, aluminium alloy armour – using AA7017 made to Alcan E74S specification (Al + Zn 3.9; Mn 2.6) – was originally selected instead of steel; research revealed that it provided greater protection from artillery shell-splinters because of its areal density.

[3] However, this alloy suffered from stress corrosion cracking over time, especially around the gun mantlets of the Scimitar, and an improved specification armour (AA1707 made to MVEE-1318B with strict quality control) was fitted from 1978.

The fire support version, armed with a 76 mm gun, was named Scorpion as the rear-mounted turret suggested a sting in the tail.

[10] Having to work under strict cost limitations imposed by the Ministry of Defence, the first prototype was completed on time and within budget on 23 January 1969,[10] after extensive hot and cold weather trials in Norway, Australia, Canada and Abu Dhabi.

[2] By 1986, the United Kingdom had taken delivery of 1,863 CVR(T)s. Total production for the British Army was 313 Scorpions, 89 Strikers, 691 Spartans, 50 Samaritans, 291 Sultans, 95 Samsons and 334 Scimitars.

The contract will replace the image intensification sights installed on British Army Scimitar and Royal Engineers Spartan vehicles.

[12] The FV101 Scorpion was originally developed to meet a British Army requirement for the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked).

[15] The 76mm gun was ideal for the role, especially the canister round, which could be used on base against attacking personnel whilst minimising the risk to aircraft and infrastructure due to its short range.

The RAF Regiment tranche of vehicles is understood to have originally been part of an order for Iran, but which were not delivered following the revolution that overthrew the Shah.

British Scorpions were withdrawn from service in 1995, principally because of the toxicity hazard in the crew compartment caused when the main armament was fired.

[citation needed] Their protection and mobility allowed the teams to move around airfields that had unexploded ordnance (UXO) and CBRN contamination.

The 30mm main armament on the Scimitar could be used to detonate the UXO or to crack the case of a bomb to allow the contents to drain or to deflagrate.

In mid 2006, the British Army had 48 Strikers in service,[16] although they were in the process of being phased out as the Swingfire missile was replaced by the Javelin in mid–2005.

[18] The FV103 Spartan is a small armoured personnel carrier (APC); it can carry seven men in all, the crew of three and four others in the rear compartment.

In the British Army, it is used to carry small specialised groups, such as engineer reconnaissance teams, air defence sections and mortar fire controllers.

It is a larger (0.48 m (1 ft 7 in) longer with a 6th set of road wheels) and heavier (12,700 kg) vehicle with steel and aluminium armour.

[21][27] In August 1974, Scorpions from A Squadron 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers, were transported by C-130 Hercules to Cyprus, to protect the British Sovereign Base Areas during the Turkish invasion.

They were equipped with four Scorpions and four Scimitars supported by a Samson and were the only armoured vehicles used in action by the British Army during the conflict.

The initial force contained the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards and D Squadron, the Household Cavalry, both equipped with CVR(T).

The Belgian Army ordered 701 EA CVR(T) in the Scorpion, Scimitar, Sultan, Spartan and Samaritan versions, which were delivered in 1975.

As the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain have all disposed of their Scorpions, Ireland was the sole user of the type during the last decade in Europe[40] until they were retired in 2014.

[45] In South East Asia and the Pacific, CVR(T) operators included Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and New Zealand.

[1] Brunei is understood to have a fleet of 19 CVR(T)s, which comprises 16 Scorpions, two Sultan command post variants and one Samson armoured recovery vehicle.

[56] The Australian Army did not use the CVR(T), but did use the Scorpion turret – mounted on the FMC M113 armoured personnel carrier – as the Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle, or M113A1 MRV.

[58] As a result of combat experience in Afghanistan, the British Army upgraded several Scimitar light tanks to Mark 2 standard.

Another British consortium claims to have designed and developed a concept that uses a common tracked chassis with interchangeable pods for different vehicle roles.

[62] The Mark 1 mPODt (multi-role POD (tracked)) uses the Stallion, a flat bed development similar to that used on Shielder, to demonstrate the concept on a 10–13 tonne weight vehicle.