This allows the TTD to come to a complete halt from 56 km/h (35 mph) in 6.8 seconds. The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by Boer Commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies. The role of MBT’s is essentially to act as a deterrent to outside aggressors. The Elephant is the largest land animal and, conversely, the Olifant Main Battle Tank (MBT) is aptly named as it is the heaviest military vehicle in service with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) (effective against soft and lightly armoured targets) and The fighting compartment saw safety improvements with a total of 64 main gun rounds carried, some in protected stowage bins below the turret ring, while a number is kept in ready bins for immediate use. The South African defence industries ingenuity has stretched the life expectancy of the Olifant MBT impressively. Variants in service include the Ratel 20 (armed with a Denel GI-2 20mm cannon ), Ratel 60 (armed with a 60mm breech-loading mortar), Ratel 90 (armed with a 90mm Denel GT-2 low-velocity gun), command variant, fire-support vehicle and a 81mm mortar carrier. This is a significant improvement considering that the Mk2 only weighs 1.5t more than the Mk1B. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The impact energy on the road wheels is absorbed by wear resistant, maintenance free hydraulic variable-resistance friction dampers and hydraulic bump stops. By 1994, South Africa held its first free democratic elections, subsequently, sanctions were lifted and South Africa was again allowed to purchase and sell arms on the international market. The driver’s station features an ergonomic design, with an analog instrument panel and a yoke-type steering stick which improved comfort and reduced driver fatigue. 20 Feb. 2019Reumech-OMC. General Louis Botha was the leader of the country at the time and under General Jan Smuts the spade work was done to establish South Africa… MBT’s are prohibitively expensive to operate and maintain, are often only deployed during times of war which makes the justification to fund them very difficult to the general public. The final drives incorporate a planetary gear reduction with an offset configuration which can handle up to 1500 hp (1120 kW) at 1200 rpm. The Mk2 is a leap forward in protection, mobility and firepower and is currently the pinnacle of tank technology in Southern Africa. The tank is equipped with an 80 liter (20 gals) internal drinking water tank for the crew which could be accessed at the loader’s and driver’s stations. The TTD embodied the most sophisticated technologies, technical expertise, and manufacturing capabilities available to South Africa in the mid-1990s. It was particularly feared that Although the African battle space favours a wheeled configuration, the Mk2 would retain its predecessor’s role as an MBT. Political choices at outbreak of war. Furthermore, a more powerful engine improves the tank’s overall performance.

The suspension consists of a torsion bar with friction rotary dampers and hydraulic bump stops and makes use of live track which produces lower noise and lower transmission vibration which intern provides more stabilized fire while on the move. Brig Gen (Ret) – TTD company acronyms. 2019. The Olifant Mk2 was adapted for the African battlespace based on the lessons learned from the South African Border War (1966-1989).

These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It features a two-axis, gyro-stabilized mirror head. The commander can override the gunner’s aim with the flip of a switch to put the main cannon on target. Between 2000 and 2005 South Africa upgraded 26 of its Olifant Mk1B to https://www.defenceweb.co.za/sa-defence/sa-defence-sa-defence/sandf-projects-past-present-future/DENEL. As there was no perceived external threat the TTD served as a test bed for the most modern technologies of the time in the areas of firepower, mobility, and survivability. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. According to the then Defence Minister Kobie Coetsee (1993-1994), “The South African Defence Force (SADF) identified, in the early 1980s, the need for a completely new generation of indigenous MBT. The commander’s station is located on the right side of the turret and is equipped with a more modern cupola, offering a 360-degree field of vision. Years of technological development in South Africa have culminated in a locally-built prototype Main Battle Tank (MBT) called the ‘Tank Technology Demonstrator’ (TTD). Date unknown. Improvements were made to reduce acoustic noise, thereby improving situational awareness and reducing crew fatigue. The system can also be activated manually. The TTD had a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 112 track links, depending on the required track tension. The Mk2 is in service only with the SANDF, which is using four for training at theThe design, development and production of the Mk2 were undertaken to correct the shortcomings of the Mk1B.

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