The Defence Procurement Agency of the UK Ministry of Defence announced in July 2003 that the Alvis Vickers Multirole Light Vehicle (MLV) has been selected as the British Army's Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (FCLV). The first procurement contract was signed in November 2003 for an initial 401 vehicles, with an option for up to 400 more.

The vehicles will be built during the period 2006 to 2009 and will replace a range of vehicles which are reaching the end of their operational lives, for example the Land Rover, Saxon, FV432 and a number of Combat Vehicle (Reconnaissance) Tracked. The vehicles will also enter service with the Royal Air Force Regiment. A Development and Demonstration contract will cover the build and test of a number of vehicles by 2005, with a planned in-service date of 2006.

The MLV is based on a design by Iveco Defence Vehicles Division of Italy. It is designed primarily for strategic and tactical mobility with a high level of protection against anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, modular and with tuneable armour protection and stealthy design. In peacekeeping operations, currently undertaken by heavy armour and infantry fighting vehicles, the MLV provides a lower profile while still providing a high level of crew protection. In high intensity conflicts, the MLV can be configured as a scout, command or liaison vehicle or as a weapons platform. The new Bowman communications system will be fitted as Government Furnished Equipment.

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Originally posted by dawn_of_time
Now THAT would carry all our kids

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MLV / FCLV DESIGN
The design was based on creating the maximum distance and protection between the seat of a mine explosion and the cabin. The wheel stations are located away from the crew cabin so that if a wheel detonates an antitank mine, the explosion is vented upwards, leaving the crew cabin undamaged. The bonnet is hinged to the chassis to reduce the shock transmitted to the cabin.

The light alloy rear body is fitted with a canvas roof over a supporting frame. It is sacrificial and severs from the cabin in the event of a mine detonation under a rear wheel.

A number of features have been incorporated into the design to protect the cabin from an explosion of an underbelly mine. The underside of the vehicle is v-shaped and the ground clearance has been maximised to allow maximum dissipation of the blast. The location of heavy components under the cabin floor has been avoided because they can be projected through the cabin floor by a mine blast. The lower part of the vehicle has a three-layer sandwich structure that collapses on detonation of a mine under the belly, absorbing a high percentage of the energy that has not been vented away laterally.

The chassis is available with two different wheelbase dimensions, 3,200mm and 3,500mm. The chassis has high resistance steel C-shaped spars with longitudinal reinforcements and tubular cross elements. The double A-arm type suspension is fitted with helical springs and coaxial shock absorbers.

FCLV/MLV CABIN
The internal features of the cabin further reduce residual and secondary mine explosion effects on the crew. There are two adjustable anti-mine front seats and three foldable anti-mine back seats. The seats are suspended and not fixed directly to the floor which avoids direct transmission of the shockwave to the crew.

The air-conditioned and heated cabin is fitted with a high resistance roll bar, a two-piece tiltable windscreen and a canvas roof with a dismountable frame. The four doors are fitted with sliding and dismountable windows and are built to withstand the shock wave of an explosion.

A two-seater and two-door short cabin version of the vehicle is available as an option.

FCLV/MLV ARMOUR PROTECTION
The armour protection is tuneable by the replacement of armour packs within the vehicle's external skin. The basic add-on armour pack provides ballistic protection against small arms fire and a heavier kit provides protection against ambush including mines.

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