Improving the Scorpion

Scorpion 2000 upgrade, wish...wish...wish

I guess we can start by changing the tanks engine to diesel para mas tipid and then yung night vision fighting capability nya. A gatling gun can be put in lieu of cannons

I agree that shifting to turbo diesels would be the way to go for our Scorpions. But, if our government is keen on taking things further why not one of the hybrid engines that our local inventors have come up with. This is they hybrid gas and hydrogen fueled engine. Would be a great saver on cost as long as its made more practical.

As for its equipment, rather than a Gatling gun why not one of those small yet hi-velocity guns from Israel (sorry, my system went kaput again along with all my saved files). Or why don't we make it into a simpler yet better machine like the Wiesel. Modular yet capable and economical. Would make a great asset once other ideas like the modified Skycranes are picked for use.

hmmmmmmmm... just a question.

if ever the Army is interested, where can we get surplus Scorpion light tanks?

Instead of looking for surplus why don't we apply for licensed manufacture of these Scorpions. That way we could maintain and field more of these. Then arm them with the Israeli HVMS to oppose battle tanks (would make short work of those North Korean T55s) with enhanced armor attached outside (to still make them easier to transport via air).

comrade City Hunter, correct me if i'm wrong but i guess Alvis (now part of BAE Systems) has ceased production of the Scorpion a long long time ago and we might not be able to even get a right to license produce the vehicle.

what's available to the Army if it wants to get additional Scorpions is to get surplus vehicles from other Scorpion-operating countries. among those countries include New Zealand (which had recently retired their Scorpions), Thailand (150 Scorpions), Nigeria (100+ Scorpions), UAE (76 Scorpions) and Britain (the Brits modified their old Scorpions into Sabre combat reconnaissance vehicles by attaching to them turrets from old Fox reconnaissance vehicles. armyrecognition.com says that the Royal Army has approximately 136 Scorpion Sabres). it will be ideal for the Philippine Army to have between 100 and 120 extensively upgraded Scorpion light tanks.

the PA Scorpions could be upgraded into Scorpion 2000 standard and be fitted with a Cockerill 90 mm turret, similar to this:

if we will not be able to get even surplus Scorpion light tanks, here are some of the "alternatives" that are worth considering:


-- SK 105 Kurassier (the Austrian Army still has lots of them in its inventory)


-- AMX 13 (we can ask Singapore for help in upgrading the AMX 13s. they have about 300 or so extensively upgraded AMX 13s in their Army)


-- PT-76 (in this picture is an upgraded PT-76, re-gunned with either the Cockerill Mk3M-A2 or the Mk8-A2 90mm gun, had its fire control system upgraded)

The PA should consider also the T72 tanks Russia and Eastern European countries have thousands of them. Upgrade the tank with FLIR, and new engine.

Scorpion is only a light tank very vulnerable to RPG, while the T72 is an MBT.

Iraq recently receive 75 T72 from Poland, and Hungary for free!

Even the poor, and peasant, rag tag Afghan army are heavily armed with MBT.

comrade El Commandante: the Army does not really need kick-@ss MBTs such as the T-72 or the Leopard 1. in fact, even extensively upgraded Scorpion light tanks would work wonders for the Army, most especially in providing much needed fire support.

but then, when we are to talk about MBTs, here are my favorites (and, perhaps, someday, some of them will enter service the PA):


-- T-72


--T-55


-- Leopard 1/2


-- Leclerc

...however, reality bites. what the Philippine Army can really have are...


-- upgraded Scorpion light tanks

if there is really one main battle tank that i really wish the PA would have, that is the Leopard 1.

Hmmm. With a Scorpion parang naka Jaguar ka na rin kasi Jaguar engine pala. Anyway, that Austrian light tank is nice. Instead of a larger gun why not pack it with the Israeli HVMS cannon. Mas ok yun. It was the answer of Chile to T-55s on their Shermans. Still, mas prefer ko pa rin yun Wiesel concept. Sure wish our government is supportive of such projects baka maenganyo pa ako to start one.

Wasn't there a diesel engine adaptation for the Scorpion? Mas ok yun over the original petrol engine.

As for MBTs, I don't think we'd need those. The only ones that I saw that could work on our terrain were those old pix of American M60s in Mindanao. With lighter tanks such as the Scorpion and the Wiesel, not only could we transport these with our existing assets but employ them better.

And if the AFP is seriously searching for a good tank platform the Hind is the proper route for now (faster than any land tank and with the proper mods could be made into a serious threat). Not only is it capable of traversing our kind of terrain it could also hold and capture an area like any serious tank. Maybe, we could mod it too to carry and unload Scorpions and Wiesels when the troops disembark. Mobile firepower with serious cargo capability too.

comrade City Hunter, Alvis actually produced a diesel-engined Scorpion.

those diesel-engined Scorpions fitted with the Cockerill 90 mm turret are the Scorpion 90s, which made their way into the armies of Malaysia, Venezuela and Indonesia.


-- Scorpion 90 light tank

with that diesel engine modification, perhaps the Philippine Army can have its own fleet of Scorpions upgraded and modified into the same configuration as the Scorpion 90. however, like what i said earlier, should the PA wanted to increase the number of Scorpions in its inventory, it has no other choice but to look for surplus vehicles in countries that also operate Scorpions such as New Zealand, Nigeria, Thailand, UAE and Britain.

speaking of the SK 105 Kurassier light tanks, here is a very interesting note about the vehicle from Jane's Land Forces:

should the Army fails to find surplus Scorpions, it can turn to Austria, which, according to armyrecognition.com, still has 250 or so SK 105 light tanks in its inventory. the PA could buy between 80 and 100 SK 105s and have them upgraded into modern standards as mentioned in the article above.

Why replace the scorpion? Its a nice platform. MAganda dyan yung makina gawing diesel at syempre 90mm Gun + Anti tank Missiles would be a good. Mas madali pa itago sa gubat kesa MBT