Combat vehicles / Reconnaissance / Rooikat
Rooikat
General Facts
- TYPE
Reconnaissance vehicle - ORIGIN
South Africa - NICKNAMES
- - DESIGNED
1985 - 1987 - DESIGNER
Vickers OMC - PRODUCTION
1989 - 1990's - PRODUCERS
South Africa - Vickers OMC - QUANTITY
About 240 - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Able to destroy most combat vehicles
High level of protection
High quality fire control
Large and heavy
Expensive to produce
Introduction
The Rooikat is a modern wheeled reconnaissance vehicle of South African origin. It was developed in the late 1980's to replace the AML-90 in South African service. Due to its powerful armament it may double as a tank destroyer. The name Rooikat is Afrikaans for African lynx.
Layout
The Rooikat is based on a large 8x8 chassis that was developed specifically for this system. The driver is located in the front, the turret with the other three crewmembers in the middle and the engine at the rear. The 8x8 chassis was chosen for its good mobility in the bush and to remain a low profile. The 76mm cannon is unique to the Rooikat and has been derived from the OTO Melara 76mm naval cannon. Since the 76mm rounds are smaller than 105mm rounds more ammunition can be carried.
Firepower
The Rooikat is armed with a rifled 76mm 62-caliber GT4 cannon for which total of 48 76mm rounds are carried. Due to its stabilization and good fire control system it is able to fire on the move. The APFSDS-T round has a 2 to 3 km range and will destroy most armored vehicles and older tanks. The HE-T rounds have a direct fire range of 3 km and indirect range of 12 km. The rate of fire is 6 rpm. A 7.62mm MG4 machine gun is fitted as a coaxial weapon and a second one is pintle mounted on the roof. The Rooikat 105 is armed with a 105mm rifled GT7 cannon for which only 32 NATO-compatible rounds are carried.
Protection
The steel armor protects the crew from 23mm rounds over the frontal arc and small arms fire and shell splinters all around. Mine protection is good, although it may not be of the same level as many other South African mine protected vehicles. A NBC system is optional. Two banks of four smoke grenade dischargers are fitted and a smoke screen can be laid by injecting diesel in the exhaust.
Mobility
The 8x8 chassis combined with large tires provides Rooikat has a very good all terrain performance and high road speed. A 563 hp diesel engine provides propulsion and the driver may select either 8x4 or 8x8 drive.
Users
The Rooikat with 76mm gun is only used by South Africa. About 240 have been built of which 80 remain in active service and many others are stored. The Rooikat has not been exported, although the Rooikat 105 is actively marketed.
Rooikat
The Rooikat is a reconnaissance vehicle that is based on a large 8x8 chassis and a unique 76mm gun. The low profile 8x8 chassis with its sloped front and large octagonal turret makes the Rooikat easy to identify. The Rooikat 105 is a modified version of the Rooikat that was developed for the export market. It has a 105mm GT7 rifled cannon, larger tires and can be fitted with various fire control systems. The original Rooikat is sometimes named Rooikat 76 to distinguish it from the 105mm version.
- Specifications:
- Rooikat 76
- Rooikat 105
Type | Reconnaissance vehicle |
---|---|
Crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
Length | 8.2 m (gun forward), 7.09 m (hull) |
Width | 2.8 m (hull), 2.9 m (overall) |
Height | 1.76 m (hull top), 2.5 m (turret roof), 2.8 m (overall) |
Ground clearance | 0.4 m |
Weight | 28.0 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 8x8, 1.55 + 2.03 + 1.63 m wheelbase, 2.42 m track, 16.00 x20 tires |
Turn radius | 25 m |
Engine | V-10 turbo diesel, 563 hp |
Power ratio | 20.1 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Automatic, 6 forward, 1 reverse |
Speed | 120 km/h on road, 60 km/h cross country |
Fuel | 540 L |
Range | 1.000 km |
Wall | 1 m |
Trench | 2 m |
Gradient | 70% gradient, 30% slope |
Fording | 1.5 m |
Armor | Steel |
NBC equipment | Optional |
Night vision | Yes |
---|---|
Smoke | 8x 81mm smoke grenade discharger, exhaust diesel injection |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 76mm GT4 cannon 7.62mm MG4 CA 7.62mm MG4 AA |
Weapon1 | 76mm GT4 L/62 rifled cannon in turret 48 rounds, 9 ready to use 360° traverse, -10 to +20° elevation stabilized in both axis |
Weapon2 | 7.62mm MG4 CA coaxial machine gun 3.600 rounds in total traverse and elevation as main armament |
Weapon3 | 7.62mm MG4 AA roof machine gun 3.600 rounds in total manual traverse and elevation non-stabilized |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |
Type | Reconnaissance vehicle |
---|---|
Crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
Length | 8.80 m (gun forward), 7.1 m (hull) |
Width | 2.9 m |
Height | 1.76 m (hull top), 2.6 m (turret roof), 2.8 m (overall) |
Ground clearance | 0.43 m |
Weight | 28.5 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 8x8, 1.55 + 2.03 + 1.63 m wheelbase, 2.42 m track, 18.00 x20 tires |
Turn radius | 25 m |
Engine | V-10 turbo diesel, 563 hp |
Power ratio | 19.8 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Automatic, 6 forward, 1 reverse |
Speed | 120 km/h on road, 50 km/h cross country |
Fuel | 540 L |
Range | 1.000 km |
Wall | 1 m |
Trench | 2 m |
Gradient | 70% gradient, 30% slope |
Fording | 1.5 m |
Armor | Steel |
NBC equipment | Optional |
Night vision | Yes |
---|---|
Smoke | 8x 81mm smoke grenade discharger, exhaust diesel injection |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 105mm GT7 cannon 7.62mm MG4 CA 7.62mm MG4 AA |
Weapon1 | 105mm GT7 rifled cannon in turret 32 rounds, 9 ready to use 360° traverse, -8 to +17° elevation stabilized in both axis |
Weapon2 | 7.62mm MG4 CA coaxial machine gun 3.200 rounds in total traverse and elevation as main armament |
Weapon3 | 7.62mm MG4 AA roof machine gun 3.200 rounds in total manual traverse and elevation non-stabilized |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |