FV438 Swingfire

The FV438 Swingfire was an armoured anti-tank vehicle of the British Army.

It was derived from the FV430 series of vehicles by converting the FV432 to accommodate a launcher for Swingfire anti-tank guided missiles.

It had two firing bins and could carry fourteen missiles, which could be reloaded from inside the vehicle. Instead of using the mounted guidance system a control unit could be deployed and the missiles aimed and fired from up to 100 metres away, allowing the vehicle to remain completely hidden from the enemy; the Swingfire missile was capable of making a ninety-degree turn immediately after firing.

When it first came into use in the 1970s, the FV438s were operated by specialised anti-tank units of the [British Infantry and Royal Armoured Corp). The role was transferred to the Royal Artillery in the mid 1980s, and the FV438s were taken into service as guided-weapon troops of armoured regiments, nine vehicles to a regiment.