Image source: topwar.ru
The international exhibition AAD 2024 is taking place in South Africa. As part of the dynamic performances, the country's armed forces demonstrated various military equipment, including the Olifant Mk2 tank, the Ratel armored personnel carrier and the Rooikat reconnaissance vehicle.
The Olifant Mk2 was developed based on the experience of the Border War (the Namibian War of Independence 1966-1989) and features improved armor, mobility and firepower compared to its predecessor.
In the 1990s, options were considered to replace the Olifant Mk1B MBT, developed on the basis of the British Centurion tank and in service since 1976. The possibility of purchasing French AMX-56 Leclerc and British Challenger 2E was studied.
However, due to budget constraints, it was decided to focus on upgrading existing tanks. Only 26 units were brought up to the level of the Olifant Mk2, as the bet was placed on mobile transportable troops.
Image source: topwar.ru
The weight of this modification is 60.5 tons. The tank retained the 29-liter turbocharged Continental V12 diesel engine with 1,026 hp. The Mk2 accelerates 25% faster than the Mk1B and has a top speed of 58 km/h on the roads and 25 km/h in reverse.
The Mk2 still uses the AMTRA 3 automatic transmission, along with dual differential steering and independent torsion bar suspension. The machine can overcome obstacles up to 0.9 m high and water obstacles up to 1.5 m deep, cross trenches up to 2 m wide at a speed of 30 km/h. The fuel reserve is 1,260 liters, which provides a range of 260 km over rough terrain and 200 km on sand.
The 20-ton turret retained the 105 mm semi-automatic GT3B rifled cannon, which is manually loaded and has a BQ of 64 rounds. It is able to fire a range of ammunition with an effective range of 3,000 m (armor-piercing, BOPS) or 7,500 m (OFS and white phosphorus shells).
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In addition to the main gun, the Mk2 is equipped with a twin 7.62mm machine gun, which produces from 600 to 750 rounds per minute, with a total BQ of 5,000 rounds. The vehicle is also equipped with two blocks of four 81 mm smoke grenade launchers mounted in the rear of the turret. Like some tank models in the Russian military, the Mk2 can create a smoke screen by injecting fuel into the exhaust system.
The FMS and the computerized combat system have been upgraded to allow the Mk2 to fire while on the move and operate in various weather conditions, day or night. The commander and the gunner can independently track individual targets and hit them. The laser rangefinder has an effective range of up to 10 km; it transmits data to a ballistic computer to adjust the elevation angle of the gun. The tower is capable of making a 360° turn in 16 seconds.
Image source: topwar.ru
One of the specific features of the Mk2 is the commander's observation deck (COP), located on the roof of the tower, which provides an opportunity to observe in the infrared spectrum at 360°.
The Olifant Mk2 has additional passive composite armor mounted on the VLD and turret. The vehicle is also equipped with a double armored bottom to protect against mines, and a fire extinguishing system is installed both in the crew compartments and in the MTO. The armored "skirts" have been redesigned to protect against ATGM attacks. The crew consists of four people.
