Armor: July 9, 2003

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The British Royal Marines have begun receiving the first of 108 armored, all terrain combat vehicles. The "Viking" (BvS10) costs $890,000 each. The marines already have over 300 of the similar, but smaller and unarmored, Bv206 (which can carry 2.5 tons over any terrain. including snow and most marshland), while the larger BvS10 can haul five tons. The BvS10 is actually an articulated vehicle, with a tracked trailer connected by a power transfer and steering linkage. The front part weighs 4.9 tons, the rear part 3.1 tons. Because of this trailer arrangement, the vehicle has a 47 foot turning radius. Four passengers can be carried in the front car, and eight on the rear one. The vehicle is amphibious and has a top speed in the water of five kilometers an hour (compared to 65 kilometers an hour on land.) The vehicle was designed in Finland.