The work likely
will cost around $4.6 million and include replacing the
gasoline engines with diesel ones on the army's dozen
in-service Scorpions, Philippine army spokesman Col. Antonio
Parlade said.
Six
more Scorpions,
mothballed because of the scarcity of spare gasoline engine
parts, also will get diesel engines to bring the vehicles
back into service, he said.
A project management
team was formed last week, "so it will be 18 (upgraded
tanks) for the same budget," he said. "These
are important, especially in our (operations) in central
Mindanao" against insurgents, Parlade said.
The
eight-ton FV101
Scorpion, an armored reconnaissance vehicle
or light tank, was manufactured by Alvis in the United
Kingdom. It was introduced into service with the British
army in 1973 and served until 1994. More than 3,000 were
produced.
The
Scorpion 90, or Scorpion
2 version -- some of which the Philippines
purchased -- was armed with the long-barreled Cockerill
Mk3 M-A1 90mm gun and designed for the export
market.
