Humber Pig
| Company type | Armoured personnel carrier |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military vehicles |
| Founded | 1950s |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Armoured personnel carriers |
The Humber Pig was a lightly armoured vehicle utilized by the British Army from the 1950s through to the early 1990s. It gained prominence as an armoured personnel carrier when operated by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) between late 1958 and early 1970, particularly during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Official designations
- FV1601, FV1602 — unarmoured Humber CT trucks designed as Cargo GS and FFW (fitted for wireless) models.
- FV1609 — circa 1956 prototype APC featuring a removable rear roof, canvas covering, and detachable windscreens.
- Mk 1 FV1611 and FV1612, along with converted FV1609 units, upgraded to Mk 1 Pig specifications with fully enclosed rear roofs and armour plating. In Northern Ireland, side storage compartments were added to prevent placement of explosives.
- FV1620 — known as the Humber Hornet, this was a modified FV1611 configured as a platform for launching Malkara missiles.
- Mk 2 FV1611 and FV1612 — incorporated reinforced armour for defense against small arms fire and rocket propelled grenade attacks, fitted with robust bull bars ("barricade removers") designed to dismantle street barricades.
Unofficial designations
A number of specialised versions developed for deployment in Northern Ireland included additional riot control and protective features:
- Flying Pig — FV1611 model equipped with extendable riot screens along the sides and roof.
- Holy Pig — featured a rooftop hatch protected by a perspex screen.
- Kremlin Pig — outfitted with wire mesh screening to defend against RPG-7 strikes.
- Squirt Pig — incorporated a water cannon mounted adjacent to the driver for crowd control purposes.
- Foaming Pig — designed with a foam generator aimed at reducing the impact of bomb detonations.
- Felix Pig — adapted specifically for bomb disposal operations.
- Turret Pig — fitted with a machine gun turret sourced from the Shorland armoured vehicle, used during missions in Armagh.