Factfile: Viking armoured vehicle

The Viking BVS10 was introduced into Afghanistan three years ago.

It is the latest in a series of highly manoeuvrable, versatile, amphibious vehicles manufactured by BAE Systems Haggslunds of Sweden.

It was modified to defend against small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and therefore most of the weaponry such as machine guns and smoke grenade dischargers is on the top of the vehicle (1).

Bar armour provides extra protection.

It has a 5.9 litre Cummins turbo diesel engine (2) at the front that allows it to reach a maximum of 65 kph (40mph) on roads.

The rubber tracks (3) allow the Viking to travel over soft terrain such as desert, snow or mud because its load is evenly distributed over all four tracks, all of which are driven.

The body (4) is made of armoured steel and rounded edges and smooth contours are designed to make it less visible on radar.

The front and rear cabs (5) are steered by hydraulic rams and a drive unit links the two halves so the rear trailer can be steered independently and is not simply dragged behind the front unit. Both cabins are air-conditioned.

Vulnerable to IEDs

Last year, the Ministry of Defence admitted it had reached the limit of how much it could be armoured following a series of deaths involving Taliban improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

It seems the Vikings are vulnerable to IEDs because of the shape of the hull and a lack of substantial under-body armour.

"You really do need a vehicle specifically designed to allow the crew to survive, and that's not what the Viking does," says Peter Felstead, editor of Janes Defence Weekly.

"But you could be in a battle tank and if an IED is big enough it will still kill people... There is no guarantee this won't happen."

Next year Vikings are being withdrawn in favour of the Bronco made by Singapore Technologies Kinetics(STK), also known as the Warthog.