DOUG'S 'HEAVY METAL' GALLERY

 

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South African, Infantry Fighting Vehicle, "Ratel".

 

Due to Apartheid politics, South Africa was forced to develop its own APC, the Ratel, when it could no longer purchase Saracens and the like from western sources.

To be technically correct, the Ratel is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle rather than an APC, as it has loop holes for the troops to use their weapons. I find it curious that the Saracen had this facility way back in the 1950's, yet the FV-432 and M113 family of vehicles that replaced it did not. Now things appear to be in a state of confusion as the weapon system designers seem to be sometimes providing this facility and sometimes not on modern vehicles. The South Africans however have always designed vehicles to suit their own needs, rather than to the current vogue of western design.

First picture is an external view. Note the side door and the fact that all personnel visible on the vehicle are wearing some type of CVC helmet rather than normal infantry helmets.

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We are now looking into the vehicle through the left hand side access hatch. What you can see is the turret basket, the strange looking tubes at back (right) of it are smoke grenade storage tubes .

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We have now entered the vehicle and are looking at the driver's position. The rest of the photo's follow a sequence as if the viewer has started at the drivers position and is working their way to the back of the vehicle and finally exiting out the back hatch.

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We are now mostly past the turret basket, looking into the centre of the vehicle - the troop compartment.

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This is the troops view of the turret basket - the back of it.

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Looking towards the right hand side of the vehicle you can see the individual vision and weapons ports.

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Detail view of one of the view/weapon ports.

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Looking down the access passage to the rear. In the Ratel, the engine is mounted on the left, at the rear of the vehicle. It is a 230kW, 6-cylinder, water-cooled, turbocharged, diesel engine, developing 282hp. The engine and automatic transmission allow a maximum road speed of around 105km/h (65mph) for a range of approximately 1000km (620 miles).

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Many thanks to Stephen for the photo's and info.

 

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