Royal Marines Originally designed for the British
Royal Marines and named Viking, the vehicle underwent extensive trials and development programme from 2001 to 2004, led by Major Jez Hermer, before the Royal Marines accepted 108 vehicles into service, with delivery commencing in 2005. The
Royal Marines Armoured Support Company took the vehicle on operations for the first time in
Afghanistan in September 2006, prior to the
Royal Marines Armoured Support Group being formed in December 2007.
UK variants The UK currently operates four variants of the vehicle : The Troop Carrying Variant (TCV) capable of carrying 2 crew plus 10 passengers; the Command Variant (CV), which carries 2 crew plus up to 8 passengers with the rear cab being designed as an enhanced digital communications platform, the Repair and Recovery Variant (RRV), carrying 4 specialist maintenance vehicle mechanic crewmen and the Ambulance Variant (AV). The rear cab of the RRV carries a HIAB crane, a fully mobile workshop, an air compressor and a 9 tonne capacity
capstan winch, together with hydraulic anchors. All four variants are fully air-portable under a
Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, either complete or in two separate front and rear component parts and are also fully amphibious; being capable of swimming in varying sea-states with a full load of passengers and stores. UK Viking vehicle variants are used as
amphibious armoured
all-terrain vehicles for troop transport and as vehicle repair recovery vehicles.
UK deployments Some 33 British Vikings, fitted with
slat armour, were deployed to Afghanistan at the end of summer 2006 when the Royal Marines relieved the
Parachute Regiment in
Helmand province. Their low ground pressure is not enough to trigger most of the anti-tank mines in use in Afghanistan, but they have proved vulnerable to
improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Viking was subsequently upgraded with higher levels of Armour protection. Vikings were replaced with the
ST Engineering Land Systems (STK)
BRONCO known as Warthog within the
UK military.
UK follow-on orders In May 2007 the Ministry of Defence placed an order with
BAE Systems Hägglunds for a further 21 units, some of which are to be used as an equipment transporter for the new
Thales Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle. Additionally on 26 June 2008 the MoD announced the purchase of an additional 14 Viking BvS10 vehicles at a cost of £14 million, including nine repair recovery vehicles, one command vehicle and four
troop carriers, for deployment to Afghanistan. In January 2009, nine more vehicles were ordered. Ninety-nine Vikings were revamped in a £37 million project, further improving their firepower, armour and protection. This upgrade was due be completed in 2014 The upgrade was completed in April 2016.
Netherlands Marine Corps The BvS10 is also in use with the
Netherlands Marine Corps. 74 units have been delivered (46 APC, 20 command vehicles, 4 repair and recovery vehicles and 4 ambulance vehicles).
Dutch deployments On 27 March 2008 the Dutch Parliament decided in favour of sending a 60-men strong Marine reconnaissance unit to
Chad in support of the
EUFOR peacekeeping mission in the region. The marines functioned as the eyes and ears of an Irish battalion. This was the first operational deployment of the BvS10 Viking in Dutch service after exercises in Norway and the UK. As part of the Dutch
ISAF contribution, a Royal Netherlands Marine Corps company was deployed to the province of
Uruzgan in Afghanistan since July 2009. Several BvS10 Vikings were modified with slat armour for this mission. == Variants ==