Alvis Stormer

The Alvis Stormer is a 1970s military armoured vehicle manufactured by the British company Alvis Vickers, now BAE Systems Land & Armaments. The Stormer is a development of the CVR(T) family of vehicles (Scorpion, Scimitar, Spartan etc.), essentially a larger, modernised version with an extra road-wheel on each side.

Alvis Stormer
Stormer HVM Close Air Defence Vehicles from 9 (Plassey) Battery,12 Regiment Royal Artillery, attached to 1 Bn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1RRF) on Exercise MedMan, Canada
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Production history
No. builtover 220
Specifications
Mass12.7 tonnes
Length5.27 m
Width2.76 m
Height2.49 m
Crew2 + 12
EnginePerkins 6-litre, 6-cylinder diesel
250 hp (186 kW)
Power/weight21 hp/tonne
TransmissionDavid Brown TN15D
SuspensionTorsion bar
Operational
range
400 miles, 650 km
Maximum speed 50 mph, 80 km/h
A Stormer HVM firing a Thales Starstreak

Variants

Like most modern AFVs, Stormer can be produced in several different configurations for different battlefield roles. It is marketed by BAE as being available in several configurations, such as a two-person turret armed with a 25 mm cannon, air defence (with guns or missiles), an engineer vehicle, a recovery vehicle, an ambulance, a mine layer, a 81 mm or 120 mm mortar carrier, a command and control vehicle, a bridge layer, and a logistics vehicle. Optional equipment includes a nuclear-biological-chemical protection system, an amphibious kit, passive night-vision equipment, and an air-conditioning system.

Specific types are:

Stormer HVM

The British Army use Stormer equipped with HVM (Starstreak & Lightweight Multirole Missile) for short range air defence. Under Army 2020, Stormer HVM was to equip three regular and two reserve artillery batteries. The reserve batteries have since all been converted to HVM Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) to reduce the training burden.[1] There are reports the Stormer HVM is being supplied to Ukraine.[2]

Flat bed Stormer
A Stormer with Shielder system

A transport version of the Stormer with a flat load bed is used to carry the Shielder minelaying system.

Stormer 30

Stormer 30 is a development of the Stormer chassis as a tracked reconnaissance vehicle. It is a turreted version of the Stormer. It is armed with a 30 mm Bushmaster II automatic cannon. A TOW missile launcher can be fitted to either turret side. The cannon and turret can traverse through 360°. The elevation is from -45° to +60°.

The rate of fire of the cannon is from single shot to a maximum of 200 rounds per minute. The cannon has a double selection ammunition feed system with 180 rounds of ammunition ready to fire.

The vehicle remains in the prototype stage and it is unclear when it will enter service. The vehicle will be fully air transportable by C-130 Hercules used by the Royal Air Force aircraft as well as the CH-53 helicopter currently in service with NATO allies and other nations across the world.

Stormer Air Defence

The Stormer Air Defence was a prototype air defence vehicle built in the late 80s. This variant was to mount a dual Stinger launcher, as well as either a GAU-12/U 25mm or GAU-13/A 30mm Cannon.[3]

Specifications
A Stormer HVM with Starstreak missiles
  • Crew: 3 + 8
  • Armament: 1 x 7.62 mm machine gun standard but depends upon version
  • Engine: Perkins T6.3544 six-cylinder diesel
  • Length: 5.27 m (17 ft 3 in)
  • Width: 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in)
  • Max speed: 80 km/h
  • Range: 650 km[4]

Operators
A map of Stormer operators in blue

Current operators
  •  Indonesia - 40
  •  Malaysia - 25 (retired)[5]
  •  Oman - 4
  •  United Kingdom - 151
  •  Ukraine - An unspecified number of Stormer vehicles, including Stormer HVM vehciles, are being sent from the UK to Ukraine.[6]Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers are being trained in the UK to use these vehicles. Number is about 40 from this family of vehicles that will be given to Ukraine. They include armoured ambulances, command and recovery variants of the tank.[7]

Notes
  1. "Force Troops Command Overview". Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. Parker, Charlie. "Britain sends Stormer anti-aircraft vehicles to Ukraine".
  3. "The Eighties". Think Defence. 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  4. "Stormer". Jane's Information Group Light Armoured Vehicles. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  5. "Scorpions to be Retired - Malaysian Defence".
  6. "Ukrainian soldiers training in UK to use British armoured vehicles". The Guardian. 19 April 2022.
  7. "Stormer anti aircraft vehicles to ukraine". The Times. 21 April 2022.
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