Light Tanks
bushpig1998
Active member
I've seen a couple ratels in action and I'll tell you, if they come up against an inexperienced tank crew, the tank is toast (If the ratels have guns mounted). They move incredibly fast and when working as a team, they are hard to beat. Add to that the fact that the carrier compartment has a firing hole for each troop inside, it is almost like a 7.62 porcupine! (We used FAL's for the most part during the 80's).
bushpig1998
Active member
Look slike th ebigest gun is a 90mm - which is perfect for African conditions and even in situations such as Iraq - where the main opposition tanks are older russian tanks. The 90mm has some good penetration and will knock out or damage most tanks out there pretty badly. Add to this the Ratel's speed and manueverability, and it makes for quite a weapon against older targeting systems - which it was designed to do. South Africa never faced a modern army and probably never will - such is the nature of warfare in Africa. The most advance weapons we have are the rooivalk - which is up there as far as attack helos go. Here is some quoted text:
"The Ratel 20 IFV is a wheeled, infantry fighting vehicle designed in the early 1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 20mm autocannon, a coaxial MG-4, another MG-4 (C), and yet another MG-4 pintle-mounted on the rear roof (manned by the infantry squad). Main entrance to the passenger compartment is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on top of the turret, and eight hatches on the rear deck. There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 20 is used by South Africa and has been sold to undisclosed countries.
The Ratel 12.7 Command is a command version of the Ratel armored personnel carrier. The Ratel 12.7 has a two-man turret with an M-2HB, and a MAG in a mount on the rear roof. The command Ratel has three radios, a tape recorder with time injection, a combined receiver and cassette recorder, internal loudspeakers, a PA system, a pneumatic radio mast, and map boards.
The Ratel 60 is a wheeled infantry support vehicle designed in the early 1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa during apartheid. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 60mm Gun/Mortar, a coaxial MG-4, another MG-4 (C), and yet another pintle-mounted on the rear deck and manned by the infantry squad the Ratel 60 normally carries. Main entrance to the passenger compartment is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on the turret deck, and eight hatches over the passenger compartment (four to a side of the deck). There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 60 is used by South Africa and has been sold to several undisclosed countries.
The Ratel 90 is a wheeled fire support vehicle designed in the mid-1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa during apartheid. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 90mm gun, a coaxial MG-4 (the South African-made version of the MAG), another MG-4 (C), and yet another MG-4 pintle-mounted on the rear deck. Main entrance to the passenger compartment (not normally used) is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front hull deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on top of the turret, and eight hatches on the rear deck for passengers. There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 90 is used by South Africa and has been sold to several undisclosed countries. "
from:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rsa/ratel.htm
"The Ratel 20 IFV is a wheeled, infantry fighting vehicle designed in the early 1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 20mm autocannon, a coaxial MG-4, another MG-4 (C), and yet another MG-4 pintle-mounted on the rear roof (manned by the infantry squad). Main entrance to the passenger compartment is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on top of the turret, and eight hatches on the rear deck. There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 20 is used by South Africa and has been sold to undisclosed countries.
The Ratel 12.7 Command is a command version of the Ratel armored personnel carrier. The Ratel 12.7 has a two-man turret with an M-2HB, and a MAG in a mount on the rear roof. The command Ratel has three radios, a tape recorder with time injection, a combined receiver and cassette recorder, internal loudspeakers, a PA system, a pneumatic radio mast, and map boards.
The Ratel 60 is a wheeled infantry support vehicle designed in the early 1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa during apartheid. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 60mm Gun/Mortar, a coaxial MG-4, another MG-4 (C), and yet another pintle-mounted on the rear deck and manned by the infantry squad the Ratel 60 normally carries. Main entrance to the passenger compartment is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on the turret deck, and eight hatches over the passenger compartment (four to a side of the deck). There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 60 is used by South Africa and has been sold to several undisclosed countries.
The Ratel 90 is a wheeled fire support vehicle designed in the mid-1970s to circumvent the arms embargo of South Africa during apartheid. The vehicle is equipped with a turret-mounted 90mm gun, a coaxial MG-4 (the South African-made version of the MAG), another MG-4 (C), and yet another MG-4 pintle-mounted on the rear deck. Main entrance to the passenger compartment (not normally used) is via a large door on either side of the vehicle. There is also a driver’s hatch on the front hull deck, hatches for the commander and gunner on top of the turret, and eight hatches on the rear deck for passengers. There are four firing ports on each side that will accept any assault rifle or submachinegun. The Ratel 90 is used by South Africa and has been sold to several undisclosed countries. "
from:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rsa/ratel.htm
godofthunder9010
Active member
Hey, mind posting some pics of the Ratel and Buffel, or has that already been done?bushpig1998 said:
bushpig1998
Active member
godofthunder9010 said:
I'll find a few and post them...
bushpig1998
Active member
The Eland
The Buffel
The Ratel 90
The Buffel
The Ratel 90
bushpig1998
Active member
Since we are on the subject of light tanks...how about this one?
here is the blurb from the site:
The Rooikat 105 Armoured Fighting Vehicle is an 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle with a crew of 4 and a combat mass of 28 tons.
The Rooikat is fitted with a low recoil force 105mm gun which fires standard NATO 105mm ammunition with exceptional accuracy at all types of targets either from a static position or on the move.
The Rooikat vehicle platform is highly adaptable to carry other turret and weapon systems.
Rooikat has been designed for High Mobility Operations where autonomous mobility, devastating firepower and a high level of combat survivability are of paramount importance.
here is the blurb from the site:
The Rooikat 105 Armoured Fighting Vehicle is an 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle with a crew of 4 and a combat mass of 28 tons.
The Rooikat is fitted with a low recoil force 105mm gun which fires standard NATO 105mm ammunition with exceptional accuracy at all types of targets either from a static position or on the move.
The Rooikat vehicle platform is highly adaptable to carry other turret and weapon systems.
Rooikat has been designed for High Mobility Operations where autonomous mobility, devastating firepower and a high level of combat survivability are of paramount importance.
USAFAUX2004
Active member
wow, nice one
USAFAUX2004
Active member
light, armoured vehicles
A Can of Man
Je suis aware
Who cares if it's on wheels? Is it armored? Does it have a gun (105mm and up I guess)? Transportable? Then you got yourself a light tank.
godofthunder9010
Active member
Well, it seems that wheels offers some options that tracks don't. Speed and the option for greater stealth. Quicker and easier repair.SHERMAN said:
The wheels instead of tracks opens some vunerabilities to small arms fire that tracks wouldn't have.
bushpig1998
Active member
The Rooikat can travel at 120 km per hour. It is transportable at 28 tonnes, it has a low recoil 105 mm gun and is armored. It can fjord a 2meter hole and has central inflation on all tyres as well as run flat options. I've seen these puppies on manueveres and I can tell you, it is impressive. The speed and armor aspect of it alone, makes it ideal for sandy situations - such as africa or middle east. Tracks are great when dealing with mud and slow moving advances, but when you need a lot of HE fast, wheeled is the way to go.
A Can of Man
Je suis aware
Sounds like we may have a winner.
bushpig1998 said:
bushpig1998
Active member
This was designed back in the early 80's and the design was shelved till recently. It is only now coming about and the SA army will deploy them shortly. Lets see how long it takes the army to ruin these fine vehicles as well... hehehehhe
godofthunder9010
Active member
Apparntly the Stryker can have some troubles with extremely rough terrain. How does the Rooikat do in that category?bushpig1998 said:
I suppose that in your worst case terrain situation, the vehicle of choice for the roughest of terrain is probably a MBT or something else tracked.
Many Countries have replaced their light tanks with wheeled Reconnaissance Vehicles.
France Builds many of them:
The erc 90
Argentina, Iraq,Ivory Coast, Gabon, Niger, Mexico ,Chad
Vextra 105
it is used by france and the uae
Amx10r
It is used by
France morroco and Qatar
Also Brazil built the ee-9 Cascavell
It is used by Brazil,Bolivia,Columbia,Chile, cyprus, Libya, Qartar, Iraq, Iran, Peru, Paraguay Ecuador Zimbabwe, Nigeria and ghana
The Italian centauro
Used by italy and spain
The south African Rooikat thats been mentioned
Also many Swiss piranah iis and iiis have been modified with 105mm turrets
It is used by a few countries
Also Canada Has the 76mm cougar
France Builds many of them:
The erc 90
Argentina, Iraq,Ivory Coast, Gabon, Niger, Mexico ,Chad
Vextra 105
it is used by france and the uae
Amx10r
It is used by
France morroco and Qatar
Also Brazil built the ee-9 Cascavell
It is used by Brazil,Bolivia,Columbia,Chile, cyprus, Libya, Qartar, Iraq, Iran, Peru, Paraguay Ecuador Zimbabwe, Nigeria and ghana
The Italian centauro
Used by italy and spain
The south African Rooikat thats been mentioned
Also many Swiss piranah iis and iiis have been modified with 105mm turrets
It is used by a few countries
Also Canada Has the 76mm cougar
bushpig1998
Active member
The Rooikat was built using many of the technology used on the Ratel And Caspirr (both proven very well in combat against Cuba and Angola). From what I've seen and read, the rooikat has exceptional off road capability. It can fjord up to 2 meter wide dongas and has a fairly low COG. Personally, if I know i'm going to fight agains older soviet tanks, I'd equip my entire armored division with these. It doesn't have very heavy armor, but it is very accurate and fast! That makes up for it, especially if you are fighting against poorly trained troops with non-computerized firing systems - which happens to be almost all armies in Africa.godofthunder9010 said: