The UK has announced plans to dispose of its entire FV107 Scimitar armored tracked reconnaissance vehicle fleet.
The news was confirmed by Minister of State for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge following an inquiry on the state of the British Army’s Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) units.
“The British Army’s fleet of [CRV(T)] totals 114 as of May 2024, 97 of which are FV107 Scimitar platforms,” Cartlidge explained.
“As the Army’s entire CVR(T) active fleet has been withdrawn from service, all 114 are currently in the disposal process,” he added.
The Scimitars were retired from active service in 2023 amid modernization efforts for the UK’s infantry fighting vehicles.
These decommissioned capabilities will be replaced by the Ajax infantry vehicles, which are scheduled to enter service in 2025.
Five Decades of Service
The FV107 Scimitar was considered one of the UK’s most prominent capabilities in its reconnaissance posture, having served the army since its commissioning in 1974.
Over 600 were built for the UK and issued to the Royal Armored Corps, some of which were used in combat such as the Falklands War in 1982 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Last year, the UK donated 23 of the Scimitar’s upgraded MK II variants to Ukraine as part of a larger combat and reconnaissance vehicles package to counter Russian forces.