FV101 Scorpion light tank

The FV101 Scorpion is a British CVR(T) light tank and reconnaissance vehicle built by Alvis around a 76 mm gun, high road speed, and a light aluminum hull. In the Boko Haram Insurgency archive it is included because a 2021 IPIS report identified Scorpions among materiel in service with Boko Haram operatives, most plausibly as captured Nigerian Army equipment rather than purpose-built insurgent armor.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAP

Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Built by: Alvis
Built in: United Kingdom

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, Tanks

Image source: FV101 Scorpion Light Tank.jpg

Profile

Type: Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle
Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Origin: United Kingdom
Service note: Introduced in 1973; captured examples documented in the Lake Chad basin conflict after 2015

tracked reconnaissance strike

Service History

In service: British Army service from 1973 to 1994; exported and retained by multiple foreign operators
Used by: Nigerian Army, Boko Haram factions
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: Alvis Vehicles
Designed: 1960s
Built by: Alvis
Built in: United Kingdom
Unit cost: Not specified in consulted sources
Produced: 1970s-1990s
Number built: More than 3,000 CVR(T) Scorpion vehicles reported by museum sources
Variants: FV101 Scorpion, Scorpion 90

Specifications

Crew: 3
Armament: 76 mm L23A1 low-velocity gun with coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun
Weight: About 8,073 kg
Mobility: Tracked torsion-bar suspension; later dieselized examples used a Cummins BTA 5.9-litre diesel rated at about 190 hp with road speed over 50 mph
Protection: Light aluminum armor; FAS lists an average armor thickness of about 25 mm
Length: 4.79 m hull length
Manufacturer: Alvis

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured armored fire supportprotected mobility reconnaissance strike
IPIS listed the FV101 Scorpion among lethal materiel identified in service with Boko Haram operatives in the Lake Chad basin, while cautioning that captured equipment can later be recovered or destroyed.

FV101 Scorpion light tank Images

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, Tanks - view 1 — Source: FV101 Scorpion Light Tank.jpg

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, Tanks - view 2 — Source: FV101 Scorpion Iraq 1991.jpg

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, Tanks - view 3 — Source: FV101 Scorpion Megapixie.jpg

FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, Tanks - view 4 — Source: CVR(T) FV101 Scorpion.jpg

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Sources

CVRT Scorpion FV101Publisher: Norfolk Tank Museum | Note: Supports FV101 Scorpion background, Alvis manufacture, service-entry context, armament, reconnaissance role, diesel-engine note, and production scale. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 FV 101 CVR(T) ScorpionPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports FV101 Scorpion manufacturer, light reconnaissance vehicle type, dimensions, weight, armor, speed, and powerplant specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict SettingsPublisher: IPIS Research | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: the FV101 Scorpion is listed as used by or in service with Boko Haram operatives, with caveats that seized materiel may later be recovered or destroyed. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 FV101 Scorpion Light Tank.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the FV101 Scorpion photographed at the Philippine Army Museum. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 FV101 Scorpion Iraq 1991.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for a British Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle during Operation Desert Storm. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 FV101 Scorpion Megapixie.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for an FV101 Scorpion at the Army Museum in Brussels. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 CVR(T) FV101 Scorpion.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for an FV101 Scorpion photographed at Bovington Tank Museum. | Accessed: 2026-06-21