M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV), Wagga Wagga, NSW - Military Ground Equipment Displays on Waymarking.com

Australia converted 52 M113A1 hulls to mount the Alvis Scorpion turret with 76mm gun. They were designated the M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) in their original role, but re-designated the M1113A1 Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle (MRV). The last unit to use the vehicles was the Darwin-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which deployed to East Timor with the ASLAV wheeled armoured vehicles in 1999. Like their British counterparts, the Scorpion M113A1s were retired from service in the mid 1990's due to toxic fumes from the main armament.

From plaques at the site:

"This Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) is unique to the Australian Army as it combines the hull of the U.S M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier and the British "Scorpion" light tank turret. It is used only in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Reconnaissance (Recon) Regiment where its role is to supplement the fire power available within the recon troops..."

"CARRIER FIRE SUPPORT, M113, SCORPION PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE OF WAGGA WAGGA IN APPRECIATION OF THEIR SUPPORT TO THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY BY THE COMMANDER AND ALL RANKS OF THE KAPOOKA MILITARY AREA ON THE OCCASION OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY'S 90TH BIRTHDAY IN MARCH 1991."

Any significance related to why this vehicle was placed in this particular spot is not apparent, apart (potentially) due to it's handy location beside the Sturt Hwy. There is a large Army base some distance away at Kapooka which is a suburb of Wagga Wagga.

"The outbreak of World War II saw Royal Australian Air Force bases established at Forest Hill in 1940 and Uranquinty in 1941. A major Australian Army camp was constructed at Kapooka in 1942 and one year later there were 8,000 troops in training there with Wagga Wagga taking on the characteristics of a garrison town.

The Australian Army base at Kapooka includes the Army Recruit Training Centre, where general enlistment members of the Australian Army undertake their initial training."

Location restrictions: Nil. On display by the roadside.

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