Ratel IFV

For other uses, see Ratel (disambiguation).
Ratel
Ratel-90 Mk III of the South African Army
TypeInfantry fighting vehicle
Place of originSouth Africa
Service history
Used bySee Operators
WarsSouth African Border War
Western Sahara War
Operation Boleas
African Union Mission to Somalia
Boko Haram insurgency
Central African Republic Civil War (2012–2014)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Production history
DesignerSpringfield Büssing[1]
DesignedMarch 1972[2]
ManufacturerSandock Austral[3]
Ruemech OMC[4]: 380–381 
Produced1976[3] – 1987[5]
No. built1,381[6]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass18.5 tonnes (20.4 short tons; 18.2 long tons) (Ratel-20/Ratel-60)[7]
19 tonnes (21 short tons; 19 long tons) (Ratel-90)[8]: 48–54 
Length7.21 m (23 ft 8 in) (hull)[4]
Width2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)[4]
Height2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) (Ratel-20)[8]
3.11 m (10 ft 2 in) (Ratel-60)[8]
2.91 m (9 ft 7 in) (Ratel-90)[8]
Crew3 (commander, gunner, driver) + maximum 9 passengers[8]
Main
armament
See Variants
Secondary
armament
7.62 mm Browning M1919 coaxial machine gun[8]
7.62 mm Browning M1919 machine gun on rear ring mount[8]
7.62 mm Browning M1919 machine gun on turret roof (Ratel-60/90)[8]
3,600—6,000 stowed rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition[8][7]
EngineBüssing D 3256 BTXF six-cylinder turbocharged diesel[9]
205 kW (275 hp) at 2,200 rpm[4]
Power/weight11.36 kW/t (0.00691 hp/lb)[4]
Ground clearance0.34 m (1 ft 1 in)[7]
Fuel capacity530 L (140 US gal)[7]
Operational
range
1,000 km (620 mi)[7]
Maximum speed 105 km/h (65 mph)[7]

The Ratel is a South African infantry fighting vehicle. It was the first wheeled infantry fighting vehicle to enter service worldwide[10] and was built on a modified MAN truck chassis.[1] The Ratel was designed in response to a South African Army specification for a light armoured vehicle suited to the demands of rapid offensives, providing maximum firepower and strategic mobility to mechanised infantry units intended to operate across the vast distances of Southern Africa.[1] Primarily envisaged in SADF doctrine as a vehicle that could deliver mechanised infantry and supporting fire to tanks in conventional warfare, it was also anticipated that the Ratel could form the centrepiece for semi-independent battlegroups where logistics or politics precluded the use of tanks.[11] The Ratel was a simple, economical design which helped reduce the significant logistical commitment necessary to keep heavier combat vehicles operational in undeveloped regions.[1] It was generally regarded as an influential concept[3] which incorporated a number of novel features, such as a mine-protected hull, an extended operating range of 1,000 kilometres, and a 20 mm autocannon fitted with what was then a unique twin-linked ammunition feed, allowing turret gunners to rapidly swap between ammunition types during combat.[1]

The first Ratel prototype appeared in March 1972,[2] and serial production commenced in 1976.[3] Rights to the original prototype were also sold to Belgium, which produced an amphibious derivative known as the SIBMAS.[12] The Ratel was produced in three distinct marks[3] between 1976 and 1987, when production ceased.[5] All three marks were modified for a number of diverse battlefield roles.[3] Specialised variants of the Ratel carried mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, or a turret-mounted 90 mm rifled gun.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e Harmse, Kyle; Dunstan, Simon (23 February 2017). South African Armour of the Border War 1975–89. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 6, 20–39. ISBN 978-1472817433.
  2. ^ a b Steenkamp, Willem; Helmoed-Römer, Heitman (September 2016). Mobility Conquers: The Story Of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group 1978-2005. Solihull: Helion & Company. pp. 29–33. ISBN 978-1-911096-52-8.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 160–180. ISBN 978-1928211-17-4.
  4. ^ a b c d e Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.
  5. ^ a b Ogorkiewicz, Richard (2015). Tanks: 100 Years of Evolution. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 220–225. ISBN 9781472806703.
  6. ^ "Military Matters: Sandstone's Ratel 90" (PDF). Eastern Free State: Sandstone Estates. January 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 53–54. ISBN 0-7102-0720-4. OCLC 14965544.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Heitman, Helmoed-Römer (1988). South African Arms and Armour - A concise guide to armaments of the South African Army, Navy, and Air Force. Struik Publishers. pp. 48–54. ISBN 0-86977-637-1.
  9. ^ Foss, Christopher F. (2001). Jane's Armour and Artillery (2002 ed.). Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. pp. 515–517. ISBN 978-0710623096.
  10. ^ Besch, Edwin (July 1983). "Infantry fighting Vehicles: Their Evolution and Significance". Marine Corps Gazette. Marine Corps Base Quantico: Marine Corps Association: 50–60.
  11. ^ Botha, Willem; De Vries, Maj Gen (Ret) Roland; Ehlert, Lt Col (Ret) Jan; Haddad, William; Nel, Col (Ret) Dr Johan ("Sarge"); Savides, Brig Gen (Ret) Tony; Van Der Westhuizen, Lt Col (Ret) Wessie (2020). Ratel: Making of a Legend (Volumes 1 and 2) (Collector's Edition (Hardback) ed.). Pretoria: The Ratel Book Team. pp. 120–122, 143 (Vol 1) 92–101 (Vol 2). ISBN 978-0-620-83635-7.
  12. ^ Landgren, Signe (1989). Embargo Disimplemented: South Africa's Military Industry (1989 ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 83–85. ISBN 978-0-19-829127-5.