According to information published by the InfoDefensa website on June 14, 2021, the Army of Venezuela has finalized the modernization plan of 78 Scorpion 90, light reconnaissance tracked armored vehicles.
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Venezuela army Scorpion 90 light tracked reconnaissance armored vehicle. (Picture source Twitter)
The Scorpion 90 was a vehicle developed for the export market and based on the CVRT Scorpion developed by the British company Alvis Limited. Many countries have ordered Scorpions modified to meet their own particular operational requirements. In mid-1988, Venezuela placed an order with Alvis for the supply of an undisclosed number (believed to be 84) of Scorpion 90 mm vehicles. The vehicle is also in service with Malaysia.
The hull of the Scorpion is made of all-welded aluminum armor and provides the crew with protection against attack over its frontal area from 14.5 mm projectiles and against 7.62 mm armor-piercing rounds over the remainder of the vehicle.
The original version of the Scorpion is fitted with a two-man turret armed with one 76mm cannon. A 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted coaxially to the left of the main armament. Mounted each side of the turret is a four-barreled electrically operated 66 mm smoke grenade discharger.
The Scorpion 90 used the design of the original Scorpion but the turret is armed with one 90 mm Cockerill Mk III gun able to fire APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) ammunition that can be used to destroy a modern armored vehicle.
The Scorpion 90 was equipped with a Thales (Taunton) fire-control system incorporating a laser range-finder, and Thales AFV Systems periscopes. The vehicle is powered by a Perkins Engines Company diesel engine coupled to the David Brown Engineering TN15D transmission.
