The low-profile Stormer 30 armoured reconnaissance vehicle/light tank has been developed by Alvis Vehicles Limited as a private venture to meet potential user requirements for a high-mobility air-portable armoured reconnaissance vehicle.

It builds on the Alvis Vehicles experience in the design, development and production of some 3,700 Scorpion and Stormer full-tracked light armoured vehicles for the UK and export markets.

Development work on the Stormer 30, which uses components already proven and in production wherever possible, commenced in 1995 with the first prototype being completed in 1997.

Stormer 30 can be lifted by a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter when fully laden, or a CH-47 Chinook unladen and will fit into a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. It can also be moved by commercial truck, on a rail flat car or in an amphibious landing craft.

The hull of the Stormer 30 is of all welded aluminium armour with an additional layer of spaced steel armour on the front and sides which provides protection against 14.5 mm armour-piercing rounds through the frontal arc. Internally there is also a spall liner.

The space between the aluminium armour hull and the steel spaced armour is used for the stowage of kit. The hull sides slope slightly inwards towards the bottom to decrease the thermal signature of the vehicle. The armour also provides a high level of protection against mines and artillery splinters.

The driver is seated at the front of the vehicle on the left side with the engine compartment to his right.

The driver has an adjustable seat for driving in the head-out position and a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear. This is provided with a single wide-angle day periscope which can be quickly replaced by an image intensification or thermal night vision device. The hatch cover can also be partly opened to allow head-out driving while still retaining some overhead armour protection.

The power pack consists of the Cummins 6B-275 six-cylinder diesel developing 250 hp at 2,600 rpm coupled to a David Brown Defence Equipment T303 crossdrive automatic transmission with integral steering system.

Mounted in the centre of the hull, slightly to the rear, is the Italian Otobreda turret with the commanders seated on the left and the gunner on the right. Both crew members have a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear.

The gunner has a stabilised day/night sight while the commander has five periscopes for all-round observation and a roof-mounted day/image intensification sight mounted in front of his hatch.

Main armament comprises The Boeing Company 30 mm Bushmaster II dual-feed cannon with a 7.62 mm machine gun mounted coaxially to the right.

A bank of four electrically operated smoke grenade launchers is mounted either side of the turret firing forwards, and mounted on either side of the turret is a single launcher for a Raytheon Systems Company TOW anti-tank guided missile with a maximum range of 3,750 m.

Turret traverse and weapon elevation is all electric

with manual controls for emergency use. A weapon stabilisation system is fitted as standard and this allows the weapon to be laid onto the target while the vehicle is moving across country.

Although the prototype Stormer 30 has an Otobreda turret, other types of turret could also be fitted according to customer requirements.

The suspension is of the torsion bar type with either side having six dual rubber-tyred road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front and idler at the rear. Horstman lever-actuated rotary dampers are provided for the first, second and sixth road wheel stations.

There are two track-return rollers and the upper part of the track is covered by a light steel covering to reduce dust.

A large door is provided in the rear of the hull which can be used as a means of exit for the crew of three and for reloading with ammunition and other supplies.

Standard equipment includes an NBC system and various other sighting and communication systems can be fitted as required by the user.

There are no variants of the Stormer 30 although a variety of other turrets could be fitted. The baseline Stormer armoured personnel carrier, covered in detail in the Armoured personnel carriers (tracked) section, can be used for the more specialised roles such as command post vehicle, load carrier, troop carrier and ambulance, for example.

Prototype.