Direct proof of use
The FV101 Scorpion was fielded by British forces in the 1990 Gulf War. The British Army Review Gulf War special report lists 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers as a formation reconnaissance regiment equipped with Scimitar and Scorpion CVR(T) vehicles in 1st (British) Armoured Division.
A U.S. military public-domain image record separately places an FV101 Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle of 1st United Kingdom Armored Division advancing east into Kuwait from southern Iraq during Operation Desert Storm on 28 February 1991.
Sources: British Army Gulf War Special Report, FV101 Scorpion Iraq 1991.jpg
Timeline
British forces deployed to the Gulf under Operation Granby after Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. In the land campaign, Scorpion CVR(T)s appeared in British reconnaissance formations rather than as main battle tanks.
By 28 February 1991, the final day of the coalition ground campaign, a Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle from 1st United Kingdom Armored Division was photographed moving from southern Iraq toward Kuwait.
Sources: British Army Gulf War Special Report, FV101 Scorpion Iraq 1991.jpg
Battlefield role
The Scorpion's Gulf War role was tied to reconnaissance and light fire support. The British Army report describes the 16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers as a formation reconnaissance regiment and discusses CVR(T) limitations in maintaining the reconnaissance gap during fast armored operations.
Think Defence describes Scorpions operating forward of the main armored formations with 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers in Operation Granby, while the RAF Museum states that the Scorpion saw active service with the British Army in the 1991 Gulf War.
Sources: British Army Gulf War Special Report, 76 mm L23A1 Gun - Think Defence, RAF Museum Alvis Scorpion
