Power for the Scimitar was initially derived from a single automobile-style Jaguar J60 4.2 liter 6-cylinder gasoline 190 horsepower engine but these have since given way to the Cummins BTA 5.9 liter diesel engine delivering up to 190 horsepower thanks to a life extension program. This supplies the vehicle with a top road speed of 50 miles per hour and a range out to 279 miles. The vehicle sits atop a set of five rubber-tired tracked road wheels (five to a vehicle side) with the drive sprocket held forward and the track idler at the rear. No track return rollers are present. Suspension is of the torsion bar variety. The Scimitar holds a ground clearance equal to 0.35 meters.
The United Kingdom has remained the primary operator of the Scimitar system with some 325 examples delivered in whole. These Scimitars operate with reconnaissance elements of the British Army made up of five regiments with three squadrons of twelve Scimitars. The Royal Air Force has also found value in the little system and utilizes it in the bomb disposal role where its 30mm cannon is used to detonate unexploded ordnance. Scimitars in British service are expected to be retired some time in 2013.
Other operators have included the Jordanian and Belgian armies fielding 175 and 141 examples respectively. Jordan obtained over 100 Scimitars in a 2006 deal that netted the British $20 million. The Belgian Army has since retired their Scimitars beginning in 2005. Nigeria may operate as many as five examples while Honduras may have received up to three Scimitars.
The British Army fielded the Scimitar in a combat role for the first time in the Falklands War of 1982. The dictatorship of Argentina saw fit to invade the island chain, which was a British interest, and forced the British military to become involved. The war also marked the combat debut of the Harrier jump jet. In the conflict, the Scimitar played a vital role in supplying intelligence in day and night operations and its 30mm cannon worked well against Argentine targets. The tracked nature and durable suspension system of the Scimitar also played well in the damp, muddy terrain of the islands. The Scimitar participated in the night Battle of Wireless Ridge from June 13th to June 14th that resulted in a British victory.
Further military actions involving the Scimitar came from its involvement in the Bosnian-Kosovo war during NATO peacekeeping missions. The Scimitar has recently seen activity in the 2003 American invasion of Iraq and in ongoing operations across Afghanistan. In the latter operational actions, the Scimitar has been criticized by some British officers for its four-decade old existence, leading to mounting in-the-field problems such as unreliable powerplants and jamming of the main gun. The FRES Scout program, intended to replace the Scimitar, is ongoing with a likely operational start date no earlier than sometime in 2015. The program is under danger of being curtailed or cancelled outright due to defense budget constraints for the British Ministry of Defense forecasting the future of the Scimitar as a cloudy one at best.
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