Rooikat
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| Rooikat | |
|---|---|
 Rooikat 105 - rear |
|
| Type | Armoured fighting vehicle |
| Place of origin |  South Africa |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1976 |
| Produced | 1983 - Present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 28 t |
| Length | 7.1 m (23.29 ft) 8.2 m (26.9) with gun forward |
| Width | 2.9 m (9.51 ft) |
| Height | 2.8 m (9.19 ft) |
| Crew | 4 |
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| Primary armament |
GT4 76 mm/62 anti-tank gun (48 rounds) |
| Secondary armament |
2 x 7.62 mm machine guns (3600 rounds); 8 x 81 mm smoke grenade dischargers |
| Engine | 10 cylinder water-cooled diesel 414 KW (563 HP) |
| Suspension | 8×8 wheeled |
| Operational range |
1000 km (621 mi) |
| Speed | Road 120 km/h (75 mph) Off-road 50 km/h (31 mph) |
The Rooikat (Afrikaans for 'Caracal') is a wheeled armored fighting vehicle built in South Africa for the South African Army. It was designed for combat reconnaissance and seek and destroy operations. Its secondary roles include combat support, anti-armour and anti-guerrilla operations. The Rooikat was used for deep penetration missions across the border, and the wheeled design was needed for speed and to counter sandy desert conditions that might slow tanks and tracked vehicles.
Contents |
[edit] Production history
Designed to replace the Eland the Rooikat came too late for the war in Angola. It was designed to incorporate lessons learned from the bush war.[citation needed]
[edit] Variants
- Rooikat 76
- Rooikat 105 - GT7 105 mm anti-tank gun
