Gecko 1:35 CVR(T) Scimitar Mk2 TES(H) Operation Herrick Afghanistan

The FV107 Scimitar is a British tracked reconnaissance vehicle, sometimes classified as a light tank, from the post-war and modern era. The first vehicles of this type entered the line in the British Army in the 1970s. Initially, the drive was provided by a single Jaguar J60 engine, and now a Cummins 6BTA with 190 HP. The maximum speed on the road is 81 km / h. The armament currently consists of a single 30mm RARDEN cannon and one 7.62mm machine gun.

The FV107 Scimitar was developed and manufactured at Alvis facilities in Coventry for use by the British Army. The vehicle is externally identical to the FV101 Scorpion, but has a different main armament (instead of the 76mm cannon, it has a 30mm cannon) and is also used primarily for reconnaissance and reconnaissance tasks. The FV107 Scimitar vehicles in the course of service underwent numerous modernizations, including replacement of drive units or improvement of electronic equipment. The main foreign recipients were Belgium (which withdrew the FV107 Scimitar from service in 2004) and now is Latvia. The FV107 Scimitar vehicles took part in the Falklands War (1982), in the First and Second Persian Gulf Wars (1990-1991 and 2003).

Operation Herrick is defined as the entirety of British military operations in Afghanistan in the period from 2002 to 2014. It was implemented as a British contribution to ISAF and as military aid for the American Enduring Freedom operation carried out since 2001. Since 2003, there has been a visible increase in the number of British forces involved, which should be associated with the growing tasks facing the British armed forces in Afghanistan. The operation was primarily aimed at carrying out broadly understood anti-terrorist activities, carrying out patrol tasks and supporting the Afghan government in the reconstruction of the country. It is worth adding that the majority of British activities were carried out in southern Afghanistan - in the Helmand province. It is assumed that 454 British soldiers were killed in the course of Operation Herrick.