The m/42 armoured personnel carrier was developed in Sweden during the Second World War. The SKPF and the VKPF were identical in appearance, the only difference being that the SKPF is based on a Scania-Vabis chassis and powered by a Scania-Vabis petrol engine whereas the VKPF was based on a Volvo chassis and powered by a Volvo petrol engine.

Total production of the m/42 APC amounted to about 200 vehicles but today the Swedish Army has retained only 36 SKPF vehicles in service, which are deployed on some of the Swedish islands. These remaining vehicles are scheduled to be replaced by Hägglunds Vehicle Pbv 302 full-tracked armoured vehicles in the near future.

In late 1993, a few of these vehicles were handed over to Estonia and Latvia.

There are no known plans for any further modifications or upgrades to these vehicles. These vehicles are essentially limited to patrol-type operations as they have limited cross-country mobility. Description

The all-welded steel hull of the m/42 has the engine at the front, commander and driver in the centre and the troop compartment at the rear. The hull is diamond-shaped to provide maximum possible protection against small arms fire and mines.

The commander and driver each have a side door that opens forward and has a double vision port protected by a flap. To their front is an armoured visor hinged at the top, which is lowered when the vehicle is in a combat area. Many m/42s were fitted with a ring mount, on which are mounted twin 8 mm machine guns over the top of the commander's and driver's positions.

Personnel are seated on bench seats which run down the middle of the hull and enter and leave the vehicle by a door in the rear. The upper sides and roof of the personnel compartment are open but can be covered by a tarpaulin which is normally carried on the vehicle.

A winch fitted on the left side of the hull can be used to the front or rear of the vehicle. The m/42 does not have an NBC system or night vision equipment and it is not amphibious. Variants

In the 1950s, these vehicles were fitted with more modern machine guns and in 1971 with new brakes, modern headlamps and interior fittings for weapons. In 1983, one of the vehicles used by a unit on Gotland Island was further modernised and fitted with additional armour protection for the troop compartment, the hull shortened at the rear and fitted with a door, and the original dual wheels on the rear axle replaced by single low-profile tyres, which have also been fitted to the front axle. On the roof of the vehicle, at either end of the troop compartment, a one person manually operated cupola has been mounted armed with an externally mounted machine gun and with a two-part roof hatch opening either side to provide some lateral protection for the machine gunner. The engine and transmission remain unchanged. The Defence Matériel Administration (FMV) has now upgraded other vehicles to this configuration to extend their lives further.