Rooikat 105

Rooikat 76 was such a big success that Reumech OMC (now Vickers OMC) embarked on an upgrade and redesign programme, in 1990, to customize the Rooikat for the international market. By 1994 the development of the Rooikat 105 variant with a 105 mm rifled gun was complete. The primary role of the Rooikat 105 is combat reconnaissance with seek and destroy missions, deep into enemy territory, with little support. The Rooikat has the fire power and survivability to engage in battle against a wide variety of targets. The secondary role of the Rooikat 105 is in combat support operations. In anti-armour operations the Rooikat performs a valuable role in protection against enemy armoured threats.

Armament:

The Rooikat's devastating 105mm GT7 quick firing anti-tank gun fires the full spectrum of standard NATO full pressure , 105mm tank ammunition (generation 1,2,3 rounds), all capable of destroying most main battle tanks. The gun, fitted with a 51 calibre thermal sleeve encased barrel, fires 6 rounds per minute. In addition, there are two 7.62 mm machine guns, one co-axial to the main gun and one at the commander's position, for general purpose ground - and some degree of air defence.

Fire control & Surveillance:

A key element of Rooikat's success is the digital fire control system (dFCS), which use data from a suite of sensors and provides an automatic fire control solution. The laser rangefinder provides target range, target speed and direction derived from tracking the target to the dFCS . The crosswind speed, weapon tilt, characteristics of the weapon and enviromental data are all automatically fed to the dFCS . The only manual data input being the ammunition type and in some cases the environmental data. The fire control system, stabilised turret, gunners sight and gun, allows the Rooikat to engage enemy targets while on the move across rough terrain. ‘Fire on the move' is not a common feature of even modern armour vehicles, but in Rooikat this is a practical reality. The time between laser ranging the target and firing is approximately two seconds. The fully integrated system consist of a primary stabilised gunner's sight, with day/night function slaved to eletro-mechanical gun control, automatic computation and implementation of ballistic offset of the weapon, stabilised main weapon, and an independent panoramic commander's sight. These systems ensures high first-round hit probability as well as a fast reaction time with the added bonus of ‘fire on the move' ability. Passive image intensifiers and thermal imaging equipment for night driving, digital navigation and weapons control allow round-the-clock combat operations.

Survivability:

Because survivability is a prime design consideration, the Rooikat, with its eight-wheeled layout, can maintain mobility even with the loss of any two wheels. Even the loss of two of the steerable wheels on the same side! I've seen this feature at the Army Battle School during a Defence Force exercise - mind blowing to say the least. In addition all eight tyres have ‘run-flat' capability, in order for the Rooikat to get back to the support lines. 81mm smoke grenades carried on the side of the turret are electrically fired to form a dense protective screen after which the exhaust smoke generator (part of the exhaust system) can be utilised to sustain the smoke screen. A collective over-pressure system and BC filters also protect the crew from the dangers of chemical or biological attacks. The Rooikat can withstand the blast of a TM46 anti-tank mine and provide full protection to the 4 man crew. Ballistic protection against 23 mm armour piercing ammunition is provided over the frontal arc. Should a fire occur in the Rooikat, the fire suppression system operates automatically to extinguish the blaze.

Propulsion:

The Rooikat 105 is designed for high mobility combat operations. It can travel 1000 km under its own power with little support . The maximum road speed is 120 km/hour and the average cross country speed is 60 km/hr. The Rooikat accelerates from 0 to 30 km/hour in less than eight seconds. The 420 kW / 10 cylinder water-cooled Diesel engine was designed with low maintenance as a priority. Servicing in the field is accomplished without the need for special tools. The engine compartment is also designed to allow easy access to the engine. The complete engine can be removed within 45 minutes. The suspension system on the Rooikat comprises internally driven trailing arms, coil springs and shock absorbers.