Warrior tracked armoured vehicle The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles , originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles . The Warrior started life as the MCV - 80 project that was first broached in the 1970s , GKN Sankey / Defence winning the production contract in 1980 . GKN Defence was subsequently purchased by BAE Systems ( via Alvis plc ) . A total of 789 FV510 and variants were manufactured for the British Army , and 254 of a modified version ( Desert Warrior ) were produced for the Kuwaiti Army . Description . The Warrior incorporates several design features in keeping with UK battlefield experience . In particular , there are no firing ports in the hull , in line with British thinking that the role of the armoured personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle ( APC / IFV ) is to carry troops under protection to the objective and then give firepower support when they have disembarked . The absence of firing ports also allows additional applique armour to be fitted to the sides of the vehicle , which is invariably applied to Warriors involved in active operations . The cage armour used at one stage was replaced in 2007 by " Wrap Two " applique armour . The basic armour provides all - around protection against 14 . 5 mm armour - piercing ammunition . The crew of a Warrior are the driver , seated in the front hull , and the gunner and commander who are seated in the turret . The embarked infantry section can number up to seven soldiers , who are seated facing each other in the rear hull compartment . Passenger access is through a single electric ram powered door at the rear of the hull , rather than a drop - down ramp as in the American M113 APC and M2 Bradley IFV . Warrior Section Vehicles are able to carry and support seven fully equipped soldiers together with supplies and weapons , including a number of anti - tank weapons , for a 48 - hour battlefield day in nuclear / biological / chemical conditions . The Warrior is driven by a Perkins - Rolls - Royce V8 Condor engine through a four - speed automatic gearbox . It is capable of a road speed of . The Warrior has the speed and performance to keep up with a Challenger 2 main battle tank over the most difficult terrain . The vehicle is fitted with a two - man GKN Sankey turret , armed with a non - stabilized L21A1 30 mm RARDEN cannon capable of destroying most modern APCs at a maximum range of , and a L94A1 EX - 34 7 . 62 mm Hughes Helicopters coaxial chain gun . It is fitted with two clusters of four defensive grenade launchers ( usually used with Visual and Infrared Screening Smoke – VIRSS ) . All Warrior Infantry Section Vehicles are now equipped with Bowman radios , which replace the earlier Clansman radios , for enhanced communications , command and control . When first introduced , the vehicles were fitted with passive Image intensifier night vision sights . These have since been progressively replaced with Thales Optronics Battle Group Thermal Imaging ( BGTI ) sights to upgrade night fighting capabilities , with 8x magnification . As of 2007 , 350 vehicles were fitted with BGTI . Combat history . The protection against small arms , missile s , rocket - propelled grenade s and anti - tank mine s was shown during the UN operations in Bosnia . Two Warriors were destroyed during the First Gulf War , with nine soldiers killed , in a friendly fire incident when hit by an AGM - 65 Maverick launched in error by an American A - 10 Thunderbolt II . As of 17 November 2008 , 22 soldiers had been killed while travelling in Warrior IFVs in Afghanistan or Iraq . On 7 March 2012 , six British soldiers were killed in an explosion that hit a Warrior IFV in Helmand . Variants . The latest configuration of Warrior used by the British Army can be seen at Warrior upgrade programme . Upgrades already fitted to Warriors in British Army service include the Bowman Communications System and Thales Battle Group Thermal Imaging ( BGTI ) night sights . Future upgrades will include a digital fire control system and improved power pack . The British Army intends upgrading its Warriors to extend their service life to 2025 . The Warrior Capability Sustainment Program ( WCSP ) will involve upgrading 643 of its Warriors with the Warrior Modular Protection System ( WMPS ) and Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture ( WEEA ) . Within that group , 449 vehicles will also be fitted with a new turret and weapon system under the Warrior Fightability Lethality Improvement Program ( WFLIP ) . The remainder will be designated as Armoured Battlefield Support Vehicles ( ABSV ) , will lack turrets and carry out field repair and recovery roles using winch and crane attachments . Under the WFLI program , the present turret mounting the RARDEN cannon , which lacks stabilisation and is manually loaded with three - round clips , will be replaced by a turret which will mount a stabilised 40 mm weapon developed by Anglo - French firm CTA International and firing Cased telescoped ammunition . This weapon will also equip the FRES - SV reconnaissance vehicle which will be part of the Future Rapid Effect System . BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin competed for the WCSP contracts . Lockheed Martin ' s WFLIP upgrade was based on the existing Warrior turret . BAE Systems designed a new turret . In March 2011 , it was announced that Lockheed Martin had effectively won the competition to develop both the WFLIP and FRES turrets . Severe budgetary pressures made it uncertain whether these defence projects were to be delayed or curtailed but it was announced in October 2011 that the Warrior upgrades would proceed at a cost of one billion pounds , extending the service life of the Warrior to 2040 and beyond . The scheduled in - service date for upgraded Warriors is 2018 . SciSys will provide Lockheed Martin UK with platform management software to control systems to improve operational effectiveness .