The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company Daimler. It was widely used by regiments in the British Army, as well as the RAF Regiment and Commonwealth countries throughout the period.
The Ferret was developed in 1949 as a result of a British Army requirement issued in 1947. 'Light reconnaissance cars' existed during the Second World War, notably the Daimler Dingo.
Given its experience with the successful Dingo (6,626 produced and one of two British AFVs produced throughout WWII) Daimler was awarded a development contract in October 1948, and in June 1950 the first prototype of the Car, Scout, 4×4, Liaison (Ferret) Mark 1 was delivered.
Designated the FV 701(C), it was one of several versions resembling the original Daimler scout cars, and represented the basic model Ferret. This shared many similar design features with the Dingo, notably the H form drive train in which a central differential eliminates loss of traction due to wheel-slip, and parallel drive shafts considerably reduced the height of the vehicle (roughly equivalent to that of a tracked AFV) compared to conventional armoured car designs.[4]
Like the Daimler scout car, the Ferret suspension consisted of pairs of transverse links and single coil springs, the wheels driven by Tracta constant-velocity joints, but the Ferret benefited from epicyclic reduction gears reducing transmission torque loads, essential with the six cylinder 4.26 litre water-cooled Rolls-Royce B.60 petrol engine. Connected by a fluid coupling to a pre-selector five speed epicyclic gearbox, all gears available in reverse, in its original form, the Ferret produced 116 bhp (87 kW) at 3,300 rpm and 129 bhp (96 kW) at 3,750 in its final form.
This improved power-to-weight ratio, longer wheelbase (2.29 m (7.5 ft) compared with the Dingo's 1.98 metres (6.5 feet)) and the fitting of larger 9.00×16 run flat tyres increased speed and mobility over broken ground.
Compared with the Daimler Dingo and Canadian Ford Lynx, the Ferret featured a larger cabin, directly mounted to the hull (the Ferret is much noisier than Dingo, lacking a monocoque body).
6–16 mm (0.24–0.63 in) steel plate protects the crew from shell splinters at most angles except directly overhead because the basic vehicle was open-topped and unarmed, with the exception of six forward-firing grenade launchers fitted to the hull over the front wheels (normally carrying smoke grenades), a feature found on all subsequent marks and models.
However, the Ferret normally carried a .303" (7.7 mm) Bren light machine gun or a pintle-mounted .30" (7.62 mm) Browning light machine gun[4] in addition to the crew's personal weapons.
Ferret Mark 2
Compared to the lightly armed and protected Mark 1, the Mark 2 was designed from the outset to mount a .30" (7.62 mm) Browning in a one-person traversable turret, at the cost of one crew member. While this offered better crew protection and protected the exposed gunner, the turret raised the height of the vehicle.
Mark 1 and Mark 2 Ferrets were used by Australian Military 1953-70, at which time Australian military forces disposed of them at public auction.
The Sri Lanka Army used Mark 1 and Mark 2 Ferrets from 1955 to 1999, with the last decade in a non-front line role. The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps still retains a few operational Ferret Mark 1 for ceremonial use, while some Mark 2s are gate guardians or in museums.[5]
According to the US Military, 20 national armies were operating the Ferret in 1996.[6]
A total of 4,409 Ferrets, including 16 sub-models under various Mark numbers, were manufactured between 1952 and 1962, when production ceased. It is possible to upgrade the engine using the more powerful FB60 version from the Austin Princess 4-Litre-R; this upgrade providing a 55 bhp (41 kW) gain over the standard B60 engine.[citation needed]
Abu Dhabi: 65[7]
Bahrain: 8[7]
Burkina Faso: 30[8]
Brunei[9]
Cameroon: 15[10]
Central African Republic: 8[11]
Gambia: 8[7]
Indonesia: 55[7]
Jamaica: 15; Mk 4 variant[7]
Jordan: 180[7]
Kenya: 12[12]
India: 320[7]
Madagascar: 10[7]
Malawi: some donated by South Africa[13][9]
Nepal: 40; Mk 4 variant[7]
Nigeria: 40[7]
Oman: 15[7]
Pakistan: 90 [7][14]
Qatar: 10[7]
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 3
Sudan: 40–50[7][15]
Uganda: 15[7]
Ukraine: At least one Mk1 purchased privately.[16][17]
Zambia: 28[7]
Australia: 265[7]
Biafra: 1[18]
Canada: 124[19]
Finland: British Ferret Mk 2s operated by 'Ferret Recce Platoon' of FDF peacekeepers in Cyprus, with FDF lion painted on front-left fender.
France: 200;[7] likely replaced by the Panhard AML[20]
Ghana: 30[7]
Hong Kong: Used by the Royal Hong Kong Regiment.[21]
Iran: 50[7]
Iraq: 20[7]
Lebanon: 5; possibly donated by Jordan[22]
Libya: 15[7]
Malaysia: 92; Mk 2 variant[7] (Some still active in Royal Malaysian Police)
Burma: 45[7]
New Zealand: 9; Mk 2 variant[7]
Netherlands: 6 Mk 2, 1 Mk 1, operated by 11 Infantry Recce Company[23]
North Yemen[9]
Portugal: 32; Mk 4 variant[24]
Rhodesia
Saudi Arabia: 30[7]
Somalia: 18[7]
South Africa: 231[25]
South Yemen: 15[7]
Sri Lanka: 42[7]
United Kingdom[22]
Zaire: 30[7][9]
Zimbabwe: 10[26]
There are several Marks of Ferret, including those with varying equipment, turret or no turret and armed with Swingfire anti-tank missiles. Including all the marks and experimental variants, there have probably been over 60 different vehicles.
