Ukraine volunteer forces could purchase decommissioned British armoured vehicles AT105 Saxon 2509146

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Defence & Security News - Ukraine

 
 
Thursday, September 25, 2014 08:06 PM
 
Ukraine volunteer forces could purchase decommissioned British armoured vehicles AT105 Saxon.
According the Ukrainian website Autoconsulting, an agreement was signed to supply 50 British designed 4x4 armoured vehicles AT105 Saxon to Ukraine for volunteer forces in the country. Each vehicle could cost $57,000, with a total amount for the contract around $2.85 million.
     
According the Ukrainian website Autoconsulting, an agreement was signed to supply 50 British designed 4x4 armoured vehicles AT105 Saxon to Ukraine for volunteer forces in the country. Each vehicle could cost $57,000, with a total amount for the contract around $2.85 million.
British Army Queens Lancashire Regiment on patrol in Basra with AT105 Saxon, armoured personnel carriers.
     

According to this website, Ukrainians have found a supplier of vehicles and the necessary funds but they encountered difficulties on the purchase, due to legal restrictions from Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

The AT105 is 4x4 armoured personnel carrier which was developed by the British Company GKN Defence. The first prototype of the AT105 was completed in 1975 and the first production vehicles in 1976.

In mid-1982, the AT105 was named the Saxon. Early in 1983, the British Ministry of Defence placed an order for an initial 47 Saxon APCs for the British Army, with first deliveries made in early 1984. The second order for the British Army comprised 247 vehicles.

By early 1989, the British Army had taken delivery of 524 production Saxon (4 × 4) APCs and variants.

Currently, the AT-105 Saxon is always in service with Bahrain, Malaysia, Nigeria and Oman.

The all-welded steel hull of AT105 Saxon provides protection small arms fire up to and including 7.62 mm armour-piercing rounds, and HE shell fragments up to 155 mm bursting at 10 m from the vehicle. The floor is V-shaped to give maximum protection against mine blast, except for the axles, which are outside the armoured section.

The personnel carrier variant can carry a total of 10 military personnel including driver and commander. A small turret is mounted in the center of top hull which can be armed with a 7.62mm machine gun.