The FV104 Samaritan is the armored ambulance member of the British CVR(T) tracked-vehicle family, built by Alvis around the same compact mobility package as Scorpion and Spartan but configured for protected casualty evacuation. It is unarmed apart from smoke dischargers, carries a driver and medical attendant with stretcher or seated casualties, and is documented with British forces in Operation Desert Storm and Ukrainian service after CVR(T) transfers.
A public-domain military photograph hosted on Wikimedia Commons identifies the vehicle as an FV104 Samaritan ambulance with 7th Brigade Royal Scots, 1st United Kingdom Armored Division after crossing the Saudi-Iraq border during Operation Desert Storm.
Role detailsUkraine's Ministry of Defence lists FV104 Samaritan among CVR(T) vehicles in Armed Forces of Ukraine service and describes it as an unarmed armored ambulance for battlefield casualty evacuation; 2024 reporting also described a damaged Ukrainian Samaritan captured near Novomykhailivka.
Role detailsThe Samaritan trades the turreted combat role of other CVR(T) vehicles for an enlarged rear medical compartment and low-profile tracked mobility.
Up to four stretcher casualties or five to six seated casualties.
Ukraine MoD profile of FV104 Samaritan.
Typically two personnel: driver and medic.
Army Guide and Ukraine MoD both list a two-person crew.
Unarmed ambulance configuration; protection and smoke screening support evacuation rather than direct fire.
Ukraine MoD identifies the vehicle as unarmed.
Samaritan shares the CVR(T) running-gear family with fighting, carrier, command, and recovery variants, so adjacent catalog entries help place the ambulance in its tracked light-armored lineage.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Light reconnaissance tank | Army Guide describes the FV104 as based on Scorpion, linking the ambulance hull family to the original CVR(T) light tank branch. Sources: Army Guide FV104 Samaritan |
 | Tracked armored personnel carrier | Ukraine's Ministry of Defence lists FV103 Spartan and FV104 Samaritan together among CVR(T) vehicles in Ukrainian service, with Spartan carrying troops and Samaritan configured for casualty evacuation. Sources: Fast and manoeuvrable: the advantages of CVR(T) armoured vehicles to be delivered to Ukraine |
Army Recognition reported Russian Ministry of Defense claims that a damaged FV104 Samaritan used by Ukraine had been recovered near Novomykhailivka.
Sources: Russian troops capture one of two British FV104 Samaritan ambulances used by Ukraine
The DN-ST-92-07952 image caption identifies a Samaritan ambulance and FV432 of 7th Brigade Royal Scots moving north after crossing the Saudi-Iraq border.
Sources: DN-ST-92-07952.JPEG
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence listed FV104 Samaritan among CVR(T) vehicles in Ukrainian service and summarized its medical, mobility, weight, speed, and range characteristics.
Sources: Fast and manoeuvrable: the advantages of CVR(T) armoured vehicles to be delivered to Ukraine
