74-618: The Ferret armoured car , also commonly called the Ferret scout car , is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company Daimler . It was widely used by regiments in the British Army , as well as the RAF Regiment and Commonwealth countries throughout the period. The Ferret was developed in 1949 as
148-472: A dental formula of 3.1.4.1 3.1.4.2 : Ferrets are known to suffer from several distinct health problems. Among the most common are cancers affecting the adrenal glands , pancreas and lymphatic system . Adrenal disease, a growth of the adrenal glands that can be either hyperplasia or cancer, is most often diagnosed by signs like unusual hair loss, increased aggression, and difficulty urinating or defecating. Treatment options include surgery to excise
222-656: A 1984 purchase of 3,500 sights. British Aerospace later introduced a thermal imaging sight that gave the missile much better night time performance. Swingfire was developed by Fairey Engineering Ltd and the British Aircraft Corporation , together with Wallop Industries Ltd and minor subcontractors. It replaced the Vickers Vigilant missile in British service. Besides its use on the FV438 Swingfire and
296-572: A blaze, badger, or panda coat, such as a stripe extending from their face down the back of their head to their shoulder blades, or a fully white head, have a congenital deafness (partial or total) which is similar to Waardenburg syndrome in humans. Ferrets without white markings, but with premature graying of the coat, are also more likely to have some deafness than ferrets with solid coat colors which do not show this trait. Most albino ferrets are not deaf; if deafness does occur in an albino ferret, this may be due to an underlying white coat pattern which
370-501: A day asleep and are most active around the hours of dawn and dusk, meaning they are crepuscular . If they are caged, they should be taken out daily to exercise and satisfy their curiosity; they need at least an hour and a place to play. Unlike their polecat ancestors, which are solitary animals, most ferrets will live happily in social groups. They are territorial, like to burrow, and prefer to sleep in an enclosed area. Like many other mustelids, ferrets have scent glands near their anus,
444-616: A ferret have yet been found, nor any hieroglyph of a ferret, and no polecat now occurs wild in the area, that idea seems unlikely. The American Society of Mammalogists classifies M. furo as a distinct species. Ferrets were probably used by the Romans for hunting. Genghis Khan , ruler of the Mongol Empire , is recorded as using ferrets in a gigantic hunt in 1221 that aimed to purge an entire region of wild animals. Colonies of feral ferrets have established themselves in areas where there
518-412: A ferret is about 50 cm (20 in); they weigh between 0.7 and 2.0 kg (1.5 and 4.4 lb); and their fur can be black, brown, white, or a mixture of those colours. The species is sexually dimorphic , with males being considerably larger than females. Ferrets may have been domesticated since ancient times , but there is widespread disagreement because of the sparseness of written accounts and
592-583: A fluid coupling to a pre-selector five speed epicyclic gearbox, all gears available in reverse, in its original form, the Ferret produced 116 bhp (87 kW) at 3,300 rpm and 129 bhp (96 kW) at 3,750 in its final form. This improved power-to-weight ratio , longer wheelbase (2.29 m (7.5 ft) compared with the Dingo's 1.98 metres (6.5 feet)) and the fitting of larger 9.00×16 run flat tyres increased speed and mobility over broken ground. Compared with
666-460: A heavyweight missile was less pressing and development of Orange William was cancelled in September 1959. Through the same period, a much lighter man-portable weapon was also being developed, the Vickers Vigilant . Based on the experience with Malkara, Vigilant introduced a much improved guidance system. While it was still manual, requiring the gunner to watch the missile approach the target, it used
740-453: A hinge at the rear that allowed them to be lowered for reloading. It swung through an angle of 45 degrees so the front was pointed slightly downward when lowered to allow the loader easy access to the front of the tubes from inside the vehicle. On firing, the rocket exhaust was directed forward through the tube, thereby eliminating any danger to troops near the vehicle. The forward-firing rocket blast proved so powerful that it sometimes damaged
814-550: A likely reference to the common ferret penchant for secreting away small items. In Old English (Anglo-Saxon), the animal was called mearþ . The word fyret seems to appear in Middle English in the 14th century from the Latin, with the modern spelling of "ferret" by the 16th century. The Greek word ἴκτις íktis , Latinized as ictis occurs in a play written by Aristophanes , The Acharnians , in 425 BC. Whether this
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#1733270094434888-543: A much larger design similar to the Swingfire. The US suggested the British adopt the TOW, but the necessity for the tracker to be inline with the missile throughout its flight was considered completely unacceptable to the British while the US saw this as irrelevant. Any plans to introduce TOW in British service ended. Initially, some consideration was given to adding four Swingfire missiles to
962-568: A new method of sending corrections to the missile that was far easier for the gunner to use, especially against moving targets. Vigilant went on to see widespread use in several nations including the United States. The basic idea of under-cover fire remained of interest to the Army after the cancellation of Orange William, and the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE)
1036-496: A particularly important animal model for human influenza , and have been used to study the 2009 H1N1 ( swine flu ) virus. Ferrets inoculated intra-nasally with human naso-pharyngeal washes develop an influenza transmissible to other cage mates and human investigators. A very small experimental study of ferrets found that a nasal spray effectively blocked the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 . In
1110-420: A rapid turn of up to ninety degrees after firing to bring it onto the line of the sighting mechanism. This means that the launcher vehicle could be concealed and the operator, using a portable sight, placed at a distance in a more advantageous firing position. Swingfire entered operational service in 1969 and underwent several major upgrades during its time in service. It was used on a number of vehicles including
1184-670: A result of a British Army requirement issued in 1947. 'Light reconnaissance cars' existed during the Second World War , notably the Daimler Dingo . Given its experience with the successful Dingo (6,626 produced and one of two British AFVs produced throughout WWII) Daimler was awarded a development contract in October 1948, and in June 1950 the first prototype of the Car, Scout, 4×4, Liaison (Ferret) Mark 1
1258-476: A tracked AFV) compared to conventional armoured car designs. Like the Daimler scout car, the Ferret suspension consisted of pairs of transverse links and single coil springs, the wheels driven by Tracta constant-velocity joints, but the Ferret benefited from epicyclic reduction gears reducing transmission torque loads, essential with the six cylinder 4.26 litre water-cooled Rolls-Royce B.60 petrol engine. Connected by
1332-479: A turret for a vehicle light enough for the requirements proved impossible and the project was cancelled in 1964. In its place, an even lighter aluminium armoured vehicle was designed, the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), or CVR(T). This differed from AVR primarily in abandoning the single turret concept and using mission-specific turrets on different vehicles. The most widely produced version
1406-403: A typical mustelid body-shape, being long and slender. Their average length is about 50 cm (20 in) including a 13 cm (5.1 in) tail. Their pelage has various colorations including brown, black, white or mixed. They weigh between 0.7 and 2.0 kg (1.5 and 4.4 lb) and are sexually dimorphic as the males are substantially larger than females. The average gestation period
1480-646: A wide variety of colors and patterns. Color refers to the color of the ferret's guard hairs, undercoat, eyes and nose; pattern refers to the concentration and distribution of color on the body, mask and nose, as well as white markings on the head or feet when present. Some national organizations, such as the American Ferret Association, have attempted to classify these variations in their showing standards. There are four basic colors. The sable (including chocolate and dark brown), albino, dark-eyed white (DEW, also known as black-eyed white or BEW) and silver. All
1554-410: Is 42 days and females may have two or three litters each year. The litter size is usually between three and seven kits which are weaned after three to six weeks and become independent at three months. They become sexually mature at approximately 6 months and the average life span is 7 to 10 years. Ferrets are induced ovulators and can copulate for longer than one hour. Ferrets spend 14–18 hours
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#17332700944341628-569: Is a joyful invitation to play. It is often accompanied by a unique soft clucking noise, commonly referred to as "dooking". When scared, ferrets will hiss; when upset, they squeak softly. Ferrets are obligate carnivores . The natural diet of their wild ancestors consisted of whole small prey, including meat, organs, bones, skin, feathers and fur. Ferrets have short digestive systems and a quick metabolism, so they need to eat frequently. Prepared dry foods consisting almost entirely of meat (including high-grade cat food , although specialized ferret food
1702-407: Is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae . The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat ( Mustela putorius ), as evidenced by the ferret's ability to interbreed with European polecats and produce hybrid offspring. Physically, ferrets resemble other mustelids because of their long, slender bodies. Including their tail , the average length of
1776-472: Is estimated as many as 75 percent of ferrets with these Waardenburg-like colorings are deaf. White ferrets were favored in the Middle Ages for the ease in seeing them in thick undergrowth. Leonardo da Vinci 's painting Lady with an Ermine is likely mislabelled; the animal is probably a ferret, not a stoat (for which "ermine" is an alternative name for the animal in its white winter coat). Similarly,
1850-418: Is increasingly available and preferable) provide the most nutritional value. Some ferret owners feed pre-killed or live prey (such as mice and rabbits) to their ferrets to more closely mimic their natural diet. Ferret digestive tracts lack a cecum and the animal is largely unable to digest plant matter. Before much was known about ferret physiology, many breeders and pet stores recommended food like fruit in
1924-528: Is most common in ferrets between the ages of 4 and 5 years old. Lymphoma is the most common malignancy in ferrets. Ferret lymphosarcoma occurs in two forms— juvenile lymphosarcoma , a fast-growing type that affects ferrets younger than two years, and adult lymphosarcoma , a slower-growing form that affects ferrets four to seven years old. Viral diseases include canine distemper , influenza and ferret systemic coronavirus. A high proportion of ferrets with white markings which form coat patterns known as
1998-526: Is no competition from similarly sized predators, such as in the Shetland Islands and in remote regions in New Zealand. Where ferrets coexist with polecats, hybridization is common. It has been claimed that New Zealand has the world's largest feral population of ferret–polecat hybrids. In 1877, farmers in New Zealand demanded that ferrets be introduced into the country to control the rabbit population, which
2072-407: Is obscured by the albinism. Health problems can occur in unspayed females when not being used for breeding. Similar to domestic cats, ferrets can also suffer from hairballs and dental problems. Ferrets will also often chew on and swallow foreign objects which can lead to bowel obstruction . In common with most domestic animals, the original reason for ferrets being domesticated by human beings
2146-594: Is possible to upgrade the engine using the more powerful FB60 version from the Austin Princess 4-Litre-R ; this upgrade providing a 55 bhp (41 kW) gain over the standard B60 engine. There are several Marks of Ferret, including those with varying equipment, turret or no turret and armed with Swingfire anti-tank missiles. Including all the marks and experimental variants, there have probably been over 60 different vehicles. Ferret Mustela putorius furo Linnaeus, 1758 The ferret ( Mustela furo )
2220-489: Is uncertain, but it may have involved hunting. According to phylogenetic studies, the ferret was domesticated from the European polecat ( Mustela putorius ), and likely descends from a North African lineage of the species. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA suggests that ferrets were domesticated around 2,500 years ago. It has been claimed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate ferrets, but as no mummified remains of
2294-724: The Balearic Islands to control rabbit plagues there in 6 BC; it is speculated that " viverrae " could refer to ferrets, mongooses , or polecats. In England, in 1390, a law was enacted restricting the use of ferrets for hunting to the relatively wealthy: it is ordained that no manner of layman which hath not lands to the value of forty shillings a year shall from henceforth keep any greyhound or other dog to hunt, nor shall he use ferrets, nets, heys, harepipes nor cords, nor other engines for to take or destroy deer, hares, nor conies, nor other gentlemen's game, under pain of twelve months' imprisonment. Ferrets were first introduced into
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2368-562: The FV438 , FV102 and several truck mountings including the Land Rover and Ferret armoured car . Concepts adapting it to helicopters , tanks and even hovercraft went nowhere. Swingfire remained in service on the FV102 Striker until 2005 when they were retired in favour of man-portable missiles. The British Army was among the first to introduce a heavy anti-tank missile when they introduced
2442-463: The Malkara in 1958. The Malkara had a number of problems, among them that the missiles had to be raised into the line of sight for firing, and the missile left a line of smoke from its rocket motor that lingered long enough to point directly back to the launcher. Additionally, the guidance system was difficult to use and had limited performance against moving targets. Malkara was nevertheless purchased for
2516-735: The Striker armoured vehicles, Swingfire was developed to be launched from other platforms: Swingfire was used in the Gulf War . After a lengthy debate, the Swingfire was replaced with the Javelin in mid-2005 to meet new and changing situational requirements. The British Army invested heavily in the Javelin, and it is now the main heavy anti-tank missile system in use by the British Army. In March 2002 20 warheads, removed for decommissioning, were washed into
2590-522: The airborne infantry to allow them to deal with Soviet armour at long range. Desiring a more capable weapon, the Ministry of Supply funded the Orange William development at Fairey Engineering Ltd beginning in 1954. The idea behind Orange William was that the launcher and guidance systems were separated by up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), allowing the launcher to remain far behind the front line while
2664-661: The American continents in the 17th century, and were used extensively from 1860 until the start of World War II to protect grain stores in the American West from rodents. They are still used for hunting in some countries, including the United Kingdom, where rabbits are considered a pest by farmers. The practice is illegal in several countries where it is feared that ferrets could unbalance the ecology. In 2009 in Finland, where ferreting
2738-560: The Chieftain. Their external mounting was a significant problem, and fitting them required changes to the sighting systems, none of which was inexpensive. As the Royal Ordnance L11 main gun underwent development it proved far more powerful than expected and the extra hitting power of the Swingfire was no longer seen as a benefit worth the cost. In November 1962, GOR.1174 was issued for a light vehicle to carry Swingfire instead, selecting
2812-483: The Daimler Dingo and Canadian Ford Lynx, the Ferret featured a larger cabin, directly mounted to the hull (the Ferret is much noisier than Dingo, lacking a monocoque body). 6–16 mm (0.24–0.63 in) steel plate protects the crew from shell splinters at most angles except directly overhead because the basic vehicle was open-topped and unarmed, with the exception of six forward-firing grenade launchers fitted to
2886-533: The FV432 as its basis. The original design called for a roof-mounted rack with two launcher tubes angled upward at about 30 degrees. This allowed the vehicle to be placed behind barriers or inside entrenchments and the missile would pop up above it to clear the barrier. Aiming was accomplished either by the remote sight or one permanently mounted on a periscopic extension on top of the vehicle that allowed it to see over any fortifications in front. The launchers were mounted on
2960-511: The Hunt was written in approximately 1389 to explain how to hunt different kinds of animals, including how to use ferrets to hunt rabbits. Illustrations show how multicolored ferrets that were fitted with muzzles were used to chase rabbits out of their warrens and into waiting nets. Swingfire Swingfire was a British wire-guided anti-tank missile developed in the 1960s and produced from 1966 until 1993. The name refers to its ability to make
3034-562: The UK, ferret racing is often a feature of rural fairs or festivals, with people placing small bets on ferrets that run set routes through pipes and wire mesh. Although financial bets are placed, the event is primarily for entertainment purposes as opposed to 'serious' betting sports such as horse or greyhound racing. Most ferrets are either albinos, with white fur and pink eyes, or display the typical dark masked sable coloration of their wild polecat ancestors. In recent years fancy breeders have produced
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3108-404: The US and Canada, and the company agreed to develop a new motor for Swingfire to be available for 1972. Another lingering problem was that the gyro which kept the missile flying level tended to drift, but this was corrected simply by angling the launch tubes up more. A larger upgrade was the "Swingfire Improved Guidance", or SWIG. This added an infrared tracker to the vehicle optics that tracked
3182-399: The US are sold descented (with the anal glands removed). In many other parts of the world, including the UK and other European countries, de-scenting is considered an unnecessary mutilation . If excited, they may perform a behavior called the " weasel war dance ", characterized by frenzied sideways hops, leaps and bumping into nearby objects. Despite its common name, it is not aggressive but
3256-480: The United States. Because they share many anatomical and physiological features with humans, ferrets are extensively used as experimental subjects in biomedical research. Fields such as virology, reproductive physiology, anatomy, endocrinology and neuroscience all rely on ferrets for studies into cardiovascular disease , nutrition, respiratory diseases such as SARS and human influenza, airway physiology, cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal disease. Ferrets are
3330-433: The affected glands, melatonin or deslorelin implants, and hormone therapy. The causes of adrenal disease speculated to include unnatural light cycles, diets based around processed ferret foods, and prepubescent neutering. It has also been suggested that there may be a hereditary component to adrenal disease. Insulinoma , a type of cancer of the islet cells of the pancreas, is the most common form of cancer in ferrets. It
3404-419: The breakup of their missile team, Fairey was issued a new development contract in October 1959. The basic idea of the Swingfire concept was that thrust vectoring of the rocket exhaust allowed the missile to make extreme maneuvers, including a right-angle turn immediately after launch. This was especially useful in urban settings like Berlin ; the gunner could take the sight up to 100 metres (330 ft) from
3478-411: The control wires or the missile itself. In one test, a simulated hangfire caused a fire that continued burning for three minutes and was believed it would have burned through the launcher and into the vehicle had it not been put out by a fire crew. The forward-exhaust concept was abandoned and a new launcher with open ports at the end of each tube was adopted. On launch, the exhaust hit the rear section of
3552-445: The damage done to native fauna by feral colonies of polecat–ferret hybrids . The ferret has also served as a fruitful research animal, contributing to research in neuroscience and infectious disease, especially influenza . The domestic ferret is often confused with the black-footed ferret ( Mustela nigripes ), a species native to North America. The name "ferret" is derived from the Latin furittus , meaning "little thief",
3626-490: The enemy, and the gunner could easily remain hidden in a foxhole or building. While the rocket smoke would still give away the rough location of the launcher, the enemy would be unable to return fire against the hidden launcher and would have no idea where the gunner was located. As the Warsaw Pact greatly increased its number of tanks during the 1960s, the long-range missile was once again considered important. The Soviet plan
3700-738: The ermine portrait of Queen Elizabeth I shows her with her pet ferret, which has been decorated with painted-on heraldic ermine spots. The Ferreter's Tapestry is a 15th-century tapestry from Burgundy , France, now part of the Burrell Collection housed in the Glasgow Museum and Art Galleries. It shows a group of peasants hunting rabbits with nets and white ferrets. This image was reproduced in Renaissance Dress in Italy 1400–1500 , by Jacqueline Herald, Bell & Hyman. Gaston Phoebus' Book of
3774-612: The ferret diet, but it is now known that such foods are inappropriate, and may in fact have negative consequences for ferret health. Ferrets imprint on their food at around six months old. This can make introducing new foods to an older ferret a challenge, and even simply changing brands of kibble may meet with resistance from a ferret that has never eaten the food as a kit. It is therefore advisable to expose young ferrets to as many different types and flavors of appropriate food as possible. Ferrets have four types of teeth (the number includes maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth) with
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#17332700944343848-449: The hull over the front wheels (normally carrying smoke grenades), a feature found on all subsequent marks and models. However, the Ferret normally carried a .303" (7.7 mm) Bren light machine gun or a pintle-mounted .30" (7.62 mm) Browning light machine gun in addition to the crew's personal weapons. Ferret Mark 2 Compared to the lightly armed and protected Mark 1, the Mark 2
3922-486: The inconsistency of those which survive. Contemporary scholarship agrees that ferrets were bred for sport, hunting rabbits in a practice known as rabbiting . In North America , the ferret has become an increasingly prominent choice of household pet , with over five million in the United States alone. The legality of ferret ownership varies by location. In New Zealand and some other countries, restrictions apply due to
3996-485: The last decade in a non-front line role. The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps still retains a few operational Ferret Mark 1 for ceremonial use, while some Mark 2s are gate guardians or in museums. According to the US Military, 20 national armies were operating the Ferret in 1996. A total of 4,409 Ferrets, including 16 sub-models under various Mark numbers, were manufactured between 1952 and 1971, when production ceased. It
4070-411: The launcher and position themselves along potential lines of approach, while the launcher parked down a side street or alleyways. The crew would then dial in the distance to the main line of fire and its angle relative to the launcher, and the missile would travel that distance and then turn, flying past the gunner and into his sights. The missiles could be fired without the launcher ever exposing itself to
4144-490: The long-range role. Of the several concepts studied in the US, the BGM-71 TOW was ultimately selected. TOW used a semi-automatic guidance system that was very easy to use and capable of easily tracking moving targets, but had limited accuracy in long-range use and had to fly directly at the target and thereby expose the gunner to attack. As TOW developed, it continued to grow larger and gain more range, ultimately emerging as
4218-405: The missiles began to work reliably. A significant problem was due to the rocket smoke. Previous missile designs like Malkara had left a smoke trail pointing directly back to the launcher which could then be attacked. Swingfire didn't need to be concerned about the smoke because the launcher itself would be hidden, so little effort was expended on using a lower-smoke design. However, in testing, it
4292-435: The other colors of a ferret are variations on one of these four categories. Ferrets with a white stripe on their face or a fully white head, primarily blazes, badgers and pandas, almost certainly carry a congenital defect which shares some similarities to Waardenburg syndrome . This causes, among other things, a cranial deformation in the womb which broadens the skull, white face markings, and also partial or total deafness. It
4366-427: The rocket motor exhaust and sent the correct commands to the missile to bring it inline with the sights. This was the same basic system used on the TOW. This makes missile guidance much easier as the gunner simply has to keep their sight pointed at the target and does not have to make any corrections themselves. Barr & Stroud introduced an infrared spotting scope that was evaluated by the Army in 1982. This led to
4440-419: The secretions from which are used in scent marking . Ferrets can recognize individuals from these anal gland secretions, as well as the sex of unfamiliar individuals. Ferrets may also use urine marking for mating and individual recognition. As with skunks , ferrets can release their anal gland secretions when startled or scared, but the smell is much less potent and dissipates rapidly. Most pet ferrets in
4514-508: The small and heavily camouflaged guidance vehicle moved forward where it could see the enemy. Unfortunately, testing demonstrated the selected guidance system was easily blocked by smoke and dust, making it ineffective on the battlefield. Through this same period, the Army was developing the Royal Ordnance L11 120 mm gun for the Chieftain tank , as development continued it appeared it would be able to defeat any Soviet tank design. The need for
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#17332700944344588-419: The target, so a new version was designed with five launcher tubes in a box along the rear of the vehicle. Another five rounds are stored in the vehicle, and like FV438, the tubes can be reloaded by lowering the tubes but the rounds have to be inserted from outside the vehicle. The problem with the rocket exhaust became evident during the period in which new low-smoke solid rocket motors were being developed in
4662-592: The training systems were inadequate. The new owners of the system, British Aerospace , agreed to make several changes to the design, and the Army eventually accepted the design on a provision basis in August. In 1960, the Army launched the Armored Vehicle Reconnaissance (AVR) program for a light tracked reconnaissance vehicle. The initial concept called for a single turret mounting both a gun and missiles, presumably Swingfire. However, attempts to design such
4736-433: The vehicle deck and was deflected and spread out to a degree. Another change was that the two tubes were now separately mounted, instead of sharing a common hinge, which allowed one to be lowered for reload while the other was still in firing position. During testing, the system proved to have a huge number of minor problems and continually failed. It was not until 1969 that the system was considered even partially usable and
4810-554: Was a reference to ferrets, polecats, or the similar Egyptian mongoose is uncertain. A male ferret is called a hob; a female ferret is a jill. A spayed female is a sprite, a neutered male is a gib, and a vasectomised male is known as a hoblet. Ferrets under one year old are known as kits. A group of ferrets is known as a "business", or historically as a "busyness". Other purported collective nouns, including "besyness", "fesynes", "fesnyng" and "feamyng", appear in some dictionaries, but are almost certainly ghost words . Ferrets have
4884-528: Was also introduced by humans. Five ferrets were imported in 1879, and in 1882–1883, 32 shipments of ferrets were made from London, totaling 1,217 animals. Only 678 landed, and 198 were sent from Melbourne, Australia. On the voyage, the ferrets were mated with the European polecat, creating a number of hybrids that were capable of surviving in the wild. In 1884 and 1886, close to 4,000 ferrets and ferret hybrids, 3,099 weasels and 137 stoats were turned loose. Concern
4958-475: Was delivered. Designated the FV 701(C), it was one of several versions resembling the original Daimler scout cars, and represented the basic model Ferret. This shared many similar design features with the Dingo, notably the H form drive train in which a central differential eliminates loss of traction due to wheel-slip, and parallel drive shafts considerably reduced the height of the vehicle (roughly equivalent to that of
5032-480: Was designed from the outset to mount a .30" (7.62 mm) Browning in a one-person traversable turret, at the cost of one crew member. While this offered better crew protection and protected the exposed gunner, the turret raised the height of the vehicle. Mark 1 and Mark 2 Ferrets were used by Australian Military 1953-70, at which time Australian military forces disposed of them at public auction. The Sri Lanka Army used Mark 1 and Mark 2 Ferrets from 1955 to 1999, with
5106-539: Was found that the smoke was thick enough to obscure the missile or the target. This was especially a problem at long range when the missile was being viewed through the entire column of smoke. This made aiming at long range largely a matter of luck, and as a result the accuracy proved to be below specifications. The missile was initially presented to the Army for acceptance in July 1969. and on 28 July they initially rejected it until additional corrections were made. They also found
5180-446: Was given £250,000 a year to continue research into the basic concepts. As part of the resulting Project 12, they developed two basic concepts, Quickfire and Swingfire. The former appears to be a fast-action weapon, but few details have been made public. The latter was designed to allow it to be fired from under cover, like Orange William. As the company already had experience in the indirect fire role, and fearing it would otherwise lead to
5254-564: Was previously unknown, the city of Helsinki began to use ferrets to restrict the city's rabbit population to a manageable level. Ferreting was chosen because in populated areas it is considered to be safer and less ecologically damaging than shooting the rabbits. In the United States, ferrets were relatively rare pets until the 1980s. A government study by the California State Bird and Mammal Conservation Program estimated that by 1996 about 800,000 domestic ferrets were being kept as pets in
5328-570: Was raised that these animals would eventually prey on indigenous wildlife once rabbit populations dropped, and this is exactly what happened to New Zealand's bird species which previously had had no mammalian predators. For millennia, the main use of ferrets was for hunting, or "ferreting". With their long, lean build and inquisitive nature, ferrets are very well equipped for getting down holes and chasing rodents, rabbits and moles out of their burrows. The Roman historians Pliny and Strabo record that Caesar Augustus sent " viverrae " from Libya to
5402-542: Was the FV101 Scorpion which mounted the 76 mm L23A1 gun firing HESH rounds capable of destroying most armoured vehicles, but not main battle tanks . For the heavy anti-tank role, the FV102 Striker was designed, initially with a rotating turret mounting two Swingfire missiles on either side of the optics in the centre. However, this concept was seen as flawed as there was no need to rotate Swingfire to point at
5476-507: Was to simply overrun NATO forces using sheer numbers, so a weapon that could attrit these forces before they reached friendly forces was highly desirable. The US Army was equally interested in such a system, and in July 1961 the two countries signed the Rubel-Zuckerman Agreement for further development. Under this plan, the US would concentrate on short-range rapid-fire weapons, while RARDE would continue Swingfire development for
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