Rooikat

The Rooikat is a South African 8x8 armored fighting vehicle developed to replace the Eland-90. Development was initiated after the Eland-90 and Ratel-90 proved ill-suited for countering T-54/55 tanks during Operation Savannah and Operation Askari. These earlier platforms were outranged by enemy armor and lacked the ability to fire on the move. The South African Armoured Corps issued a requirement for a heavy armored car, leading to the New Generation Armoured Car project between 1976 and 1979. Following trials of various 8x8 prototypes, including the Bismarck and Cheetah models, the Cheetah Mk2 was selected in 1984. Sandock-Austral began production in 1987, and the vehicle entered service in 1989.

The vehicle utilizes an 8x8 chassis with fully independent active trailing arm suspension and hydropneumatic shock absorbers. Power is provided by a 10-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine. The primary armament is a stabilized Denel GT4 76mm high-velocity rifled gun, which is technically similar to the Oto Melara 76mm naval gun. The stabilization system and digital fire control system, which incorporates a laser rangefinder and environmental sensors, enable the vehicle to engage targets while moving across rough terrain. Secondary armament includes two 7.62mm machine guns and two banks of 81mm smoke grenade dischargers.

Several variants were developed for specialized roles. The Rooikat 105 is equipped with a GT7 105mm anti-tank gun capable of firing NATO-standard ammunition. The ZA35 version is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun featuring twin 35mm cannons and an EDR 110 surveillance radar. Additional prototypes were designed for anti-tank guided missiles and surface-to-air missiles.

The South African National Defence Force operates the Rooikat for reconnaissance and the harassment of rearguard units. Operational doctrine specifies that the vehicle engages enemy armor from defilade or static defensive positions. The Rooikat was deployed for internal patrols during the 1994 general elections. In 1998, the vehicle saw combat during Operation Boleas, the intervention in Lesotho. Units from the 1 Special Service Battalion were deployed to Maseru to reinforce mechanized formations and participate in security operations.