| Hippo | |
|---|---|
 Armscor Hippo at the SAPS Museum, Ventersburg | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974 - 1978[1] |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Namibian War of Independence Soweto uprising |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Armscor South Africa |
| Designed | 1974[2] |
| Manufacturer | Armscor South Africa |
| No. built | 275 (Mk 1-R)[2] 402 (Mk 1-M)[3] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.8 tonnes (9.7 short tons; 8.7 long tons)[1] |
| Length | 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in)[2] |
| Width | 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)[2] |
| Height | 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)[2] |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 10 |
Main armament | 2x 7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns[1] |
| Engine | Bedford 2.5 L (150 in3) inline 6-cylinder water-cooled petrol[2] |
| Transmission | ZF 4-speed manual synchromesh (2nd, 3rd, 4th gears)[2][3] |
| Ground clearance | 32 cm[2] |
| Fuel capacity | 240 litres[2] |
Operational range | 640 km[1] |
| Maximum speed | 73 km/h[1] |
The Hippo is a South African armoured personnel carrier. Specially designed to be mine resistant, it can carry ten infantrymen and a crew of two.[3] The vehicle's remote-operated turret mounts dual 7.62mm machine guns, but like other improvised fighting vehicles, it is only lightly protected against ballistic threats.[3]
- ^ a b c d e "Lesakeng". South African Armour Museum. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Heitman, Helmoed-Römer. South African Armed Forces. Buffalo Publications 1990. ISBN 0-620-14878-0 p 44.
- ^ a b c d Surviving The Ride. 30 Degrees South. 19 September 2014. ISBN 978-1-928211-17-4. Retrieved 24 July 2015.