The Scimitar armoured fighting vechiles has more the proved its worth since entering service
‘The fact that an AFV that was first fielded in the 1970s is still around today is remarkable’


After yet another inconclusive contact with the Taliban, the paratroopers reached the edge of the Green Zone and shook out into tactical formation ready to move out into the open desert. They would now be dangerously exposed for the last leg of the patrol back to the forward operating base, visible in the distance. Then out of the dust and heat haze came a pair of armoured vehicles to provide some very welcome fire support. They were Scimitar CVRTs looking for all the world like a couple of Stuart light tanks in the Western Desert complete with pennants. These veteran AFVs had found a new lease of life in Afghanistan where their mobility and firepower proved a useful asset to the troops on the ground.