"Due to the susceptibility of the FV430 troop carrier in its original design form concerning actions in Iraqi, the British Army took on a better-armored version through the Bulldog APC."
After Saddam Hussein's forces were soundly beaten following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the euphoria of liberation had faded, the second phase of the war began as guerilla forces loyal to the former regime took up arms to remove the invaders. Part of the coalition force was the British Army and it fielded the venerable Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) version of the FV430 vehicle family as the "FV432". With increased use by the enemy of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), the vehicle soon shown itself highly susceptible to these hidden threats. This prompted the service to take on an up-armored form of the troop carrier mark as the FV430 Bulldog Mk III.
The Bulldog entered service in useful numbers by mid-2007 and more or less retained the form and function of the original vehicle. The most important change became the armor package built upon the existing framework of the hull. This provided considerably more shielding against IED and RPG threats by covering the most critical facings of the vehicle - the front and sides of the hull superstructure - with reactive armor. The resulting vehicle was a success for its part in the war.
Overall weight became 15.3 tonnes and drive power was from a single Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fueled unit outputting 240 horsepower. Road speeds reached 32 miles per hour with operational ranges out to 360 miles.
Internally the standard operating crew remained two - driver and commander - with seating for up to ten in the passenger area at rear. A powered door arrangement seated at the rear hull wall allowed the necessary entry-exit for infantry and roof hatches were set over the crew positions. Local defense was through a single 7.62mm machine gun fitted to the roof and could be operated remotely from within the vehicle - again owing to the dangers of urban warfare and a hidden enemy.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the FV430 Bulldog Mk III Up-Armored Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
1 x Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fueled engine developing 240 horsepower driving conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Installed Power
32 mph 52 kph Road Speed
360 miles 580 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the FV430 Bulldog Mk III Up-Armored Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
2 (MANNED) Crew
17.2 ft 5.25 meters O/A Length
9.2 ft 2.8 meters O/A Width
7.5 ft 2.28 meters O/A Height
33,731 lb 15,300 kg | 16.9 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the FV430 Bulldog Up-Armored Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
TYPICAL:
1 x 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) on pintle-mounting on hull roof.
2 x 3 Smoke grenade dischargers
AMMUNITION: 2,000 x 7.62mm ammunition (estimated).
6 x Smoke grenades.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the FV430 Bulldog family line.
FV430 "Bulldog" Mk III - Base Series Name; service introduced August 2007.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the FV430 Bulldog. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 500 Units Contractor(s): State Factories - United Kingdom
[ United Kingdom ]
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Image from the UK Ministry of Defence imagery database.
Going Further... The FV430 Bulldog Up-Armored Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) appears in the following collections:
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