| Mamba | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mamba Mk2 of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | South Africa  |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Kosovo War Somali Civil War Iraq War Kivu conflict 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1988[1] |
| Manufacturer | Reumech OMC[2] |
| Produced | 1990–present[1] |
| No. built | ~800[1] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.45 tonnes (7.11 short tons; 6.35 long tons) (Mk1)[1] 6.8 tonnes (7.5 short tons; 6.7 long tons) (Mk2)[2] 6.5 tonnes (7.2 short tons; 6.4 long tons) (Mk3)[1] |
| Length | 5.88 m (19 ft 3 in) (Mk1)[1] 5.46 m (17 ft 11 in) (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
| Width | 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in) (Mk1)[1] 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
| Height | 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in) (Mk1)[1] 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
| Crew | 2 (commander, driver) + 9 passengers[1] |
Main armament | 12.7mm Browning M2 machine gun, optional[1] |
| Engine | Toyota JO 5C four-cylinder diesel (Mk1)[1] Mercedes-Benz OM352 six-cylinder diesel (Mk2, Mk3)[2] 139 hp (104 kW) at 2,900 rpm (Mk1)[1] 123 hp (92 kW) at 2,800 rpm (Mk2, Mk3)[1] |
| Power/weight | 18 hp/tonne (13.4 kW/tonne) (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
| Suspension | Coil spring |
| Ground clearance | 0.34 m (Mk1)[1] 0.39m (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
| Fuel capacity | 220 litres (Mk2, Mk3)[2] |
Operational range | 900 km[2] |
| Maximum speed | 102 km/h (63 mph)[1] |
The Mamba is a South African armoured personnel carrier designed for internal security purposes.[1] It was developed during the late 1980s to replace the Buffel in service with the South African military and security forces.[1] The first models were built on a 4X2 Toyota Dyna chassis, which was subsequently replaced in production around 1994 by a more reliable Unimog chassis.[1] All marks of the Mamba were designed to be mine-resistant and blastproof.[1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Camp, Steve; Helmoed-Römer, Heitman (November 2014). Surviving the Ride: A pictorial history of South African Manufactured Mine-Protected vehicles. Pinetown: 30 Degrees South. pp. 97–102. ISBN 978-1928211-17-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Christopher F. Foss (2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 294–295. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.