Country of origin United Kingdom Entered service - Crew 4 + 7 men Dimensions and weight Weight 20 t Length (gun forward) 8.22 m Hull length ~ 6.5 m Width 3.2 m Height ~ 3.5 m Armament Main gun 105 mm rifled Barrel length ? Maximum range of fire ? Rate of fire ? Machine guns 1 x 7.62 mm, 1 x 12.7 mm Elevation range - 7 to + 20 degrees Traverse range 360 degrees Ammunition load Main gun 36 rounds Machine guns ? Mobility Engine Cummins 64TA8.3 diesel Engine power 350 hp Maximum road speed 105 km/h Amphibious speed on water 8 km/h Range 1 000 km Maneuverability Gradient 60% Side slope 30% Vertical step 0.6 m Trench ~ 1.2 m Fording ~ 1.2 m / Amphibious The Vickers Mk.11 Viper is an unusual vehicle. It is referred as a border patrol vehicle or long-range patrol vehicle. Basically this unique machine is a wheeled fire support vehicle, capable of carrying infantry squad of dismounted troops, and with a range of reconnaissance vehicle. It was designed for the changing defense requirements of the 1990s. A prototype of the Vickers Mk.11 was built after three Timoney Mk.8 (CM31) prototypes. It seems that it evolved from the Vickers Valkyr. Only one prototype of the Mk.11 was built when the project was stopped. It is fitted with a complete turret of the Vickers Mk.5 (VFM5) light tank. It is armed with an L7 105 mm low-recoil rifled gun, developed by Royal Ordnance. This gun is fully-stabilized and can fire accurately on the move. The gun is loaded manually. It is compatible with all standard NATO 105 mm ammunition. A wide variety of different ammunition is available for this gun to suit all targets and all purposes. A total of 36 rounds are carried for the main gun. 18 rounds are ready to use. The rest are stored inside the hull. At the time of its introduction this fire support vehicle was fitted with advanced fire control system. There is also a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. Another 12.7 mm machine gun or 7.62 mm machine could be mounted on top of the roof. It is operated by the loader. The Vickers Mk.11 is operated by a crew of four and can carry 7 dismounts. Troops enter and leave the vehicle via a large side door on the left-hand side, or double rear doors. A small door on the right gives access to stowage and personal kit. It is worth noting that this long-range patrol vehicle was designed to carry ample combat supplies for sustained operations. There are some hatches in the roof for emergency exit. There are some firing ports provided for the troops to fire their individual weapons. Turret and possibly hull of the Vickers Mk.11 are made of lightweight aluminum armor. All-round protection is against 7.62 mm armor-piercing rounds. Front arc withstands 12.7 mm armor-piercing rounds. Ballistic protection could be improved depending on customer requirements. It is claimed that vehicle withstands explosions equivalent to 12 kg of TNT anywhere under the hull. NBC protection system was proposed as an option. The Vickers Mk.11 uses a number of commercially available automotive components. Most likely that it is powered by a Cummins C4TA8.3 turbocharged diesel engine, developing 350 or 500 hp. It is located in the middle of the hull. This engine can run on diesel or aviation fuel. It is mated with ZF 6-speed automatic transmission. The whole powerpack with engine and transmission can be easily removed. Vehicle has a 6x6 configuration. Suspension of this vehicle was developed by Timoney of Ireland. The Vickers Mk.11 is fitted with a central tyre inflation system and run-flat tyres. With a punctured tyre it can drive at least 10 km/h with a speed of 50 km/h. This vehicle has great strategic and tactical mobility. Maximum road range on internal fuel is up to 1 000 km. Vehicle has a watertight hull. Amphibious capability was proposed as an option. Propulsion on water is provided by two waterjets. Maximum amphibious speed on water is 8 km/h. Some sources report that there were other variants of the Vickers Mk.11. However it seems that these variants were only on paper. It is claimed that the Mk.11 family also included ATGW carrier, 120 mm mortar carrier, SPAAG, APC that can carry up to 19 troops, command post vehicle, armored ambulance, logistic vehicle, recovery vehicle and some other variants. All of these were based on a common chassis. However some of them had the same engine with different power output (500 hp). Command post vehicle and armored ambulance have a raised roofline. Can't find what you're looking for?