FV103

First entering Ukrainian service in 2022 through private sales, the FV103 Spartan has maintained a consistent presence in the Ukrainian military throughout the war. The vehicle has also been pledged and delivered by both the national governments of The United Kingdom and Latvia. Originally designed and built by Britain as part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked family of vehicles, the FV103 Spartan offered limited transport capability for specialists in a low profile, high speed package.

Alongside its internal fire suppression system, the vehicle offers improved frontal ballistic protection to enhance its survivability. The frontal arc of the FV103 and other CVRT vehicles is rated to withstand 14.5mm AP at 200 meters compared to the M113’s rating against 12.7mm AP, the cost for this protection and a much higher speed of 80-100 kilometers per hour is the reduced internal volume as it was originally designed for only four dismounts. Ukrainian war time modifications have increased the capacity to being capable of cramming in eight dismounts; the internal space was still referred to as superior to that of the BMP-2 by an interviewed crewman on ArmyTV. With its small size and quieter engine the vehicle excels at concealment and mobility on otherwise difficult to reach terrain.