Rooikat Armored Fighting Vehicle - South African Firepower

[@_Matsimus_]

Hope you enjoy guys! Any more vehicles/equipment/aircraft/ships you would like me to do please comment below! 👍 and if you wish to support Me and my channel I would really appreciate you checking out my Patreon page in the description box above 🤘

[@randomguy1697]

Matsimus thanks for the video. Your Afrikaans needs some work

[@prashantmakemerich]

LCH attack helicopter!!

[@WollongongWacko]

Technical vehicles from around the world would be awesome. I just saw Turkey with a two oerlikon's 20mms on the back of a pickup, with ballistic windows in the gunners armour.

[@marcrasm]

Personally i would love to see videos on either the danish "Iver Huitfeldt"/"Absalon" classes or the Swedish "Visby" class ships. also i know you have a video about the piranha 3 i would love to see a video on the new piranha 5 compared to piranha 3

[@hammerhead253]

Chinese 5th generation fighters - Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-31.

[@williamashurst5912]

I was a gunner on the Rooikat, it was an amazing experience. The only difficulty was shooting on the go doing 90km/h through the dirt when you hit a trench with your eye on the scope. I often had a blue eye!! The targeting was fully computerised and takes into account many different factors that may influence the travel of the projectile. You can also lock on target while driving and turning. Night vision was absolutely amazing. I love the smell of cordite in the morning! Thanks for doing the video, brought back fond memories.

[@professionalcriticalthinke9997]

My dad also used to be a gunner on the rooikat

[@YoRHaUnit2Babe]

This Super mobile Light tank is designed very well

[@gerhardpotgieter840]

Ek was n laaier en n goeie ene.

[@banzizulu1009]

Thank you for your service 🇿🇦

[@Julia-fc4mp]

I was a driver and it was really easy to drive and spacious especially when compared to the old Noddy cars.the driver's seat could raise and lower, mine broke, had to McGuyver it with my pikstel.our night vision didn't work though.It had a lot of problems when they came out but they were a billion times better than the Noddies which they were replacing.

[@willielouw3409]

As a South African , I really appreciate that you post content about our country. ❤

[@mikeoxsmal8022]

are you afrikaneer?

[@willielouw3409]

Yes im an Afrikaner 😝

[@danie9750]

Eks bly om te weet daar is darm n paar van ons wat na Matsimus kyk lol.

[@beefstew6512]

you white?

[@willielouw3409]

Ja eks afrikaans 😂

[@CasperLabuschagne]

I served as a member of the citizen force in the old SADF from 1979 up to 1989 in a mechanised battalion. The developement of the Rooikat started in the early 1980's and it was not intended as merely a replacement for the French Panhard armored cars. The Panhard armoured cars were locally manufactured as the Eland, and was locally upgraded to serve an effective role supporting the South African armoured columns during the 1980's. The Rooikat was a weapon designed for the South African theater of war where the map of the entire continent of Western Europe could fit onto the map of Southern Africa. Over such a vast area, land battles are not fought in the conventional sense of holding and controlling territory but in a similar fashion to naval forces that conduct outflanking maneuvers darting in to deliver vicious blows on the flanks. It was with that in mind that the Rooikat was developed and that made it unique in the world at that time. In the 1980's, the Rooikat was called South Africa's insurance policy, a weapon that could outflank the enemy formations and penetrate for at least 1,600 km before requiring refueling, delivering a vicious blow to rear echolon supply lines or enemy formations and melt away into the bush only to strike again on another distant target. With such distances, supply lines were everything and whichever side had the best logistic supply could overcome their enemy. Conversely, whichever side can ground the enemy supply columns to an effective halt would force the enemy formations into a defensive stance or even a retreat. In the African bush the primary supply line would effectively be a single dirt or asphalt road running for hundreds of kilometers through the bush. However, the South African bush war effectively ended after 1987 before the Rooikat was ever used in actual battle. The closest modern day equivalent of a vehicle that is used in the context that the Rooikat was designed for, are the Toyota Land Cruisers mounting heavy armament that ISIS used in Syria and Iraq to great effect, by rapidly advancing over considerable distances in order to deliver devastating blows on the flanks of conventional formations. Thus ISIS could force the rapid capitulation of a series of defensive positions over hundreds of kilometers behind their enemy front lines, by outflanking and destroying lines of communication.

[@stevenvictor2587]

December 88 the war effectively ended - Cuba made one last push for the South West of Angola after getting mauled in the South East with Ops Moduler, Hooper and Packer. Then SWAPO tried some nonsense in 1989 that was swiftly dealt with by 61 Mech, Koevoet, 101Bn and the Recces

[@vut_zarco]

As a tanker myself in 1991 I have to admit I was jealous of the Rooikat. It had a beautiful engine sound. I will however disagree with Maximus on the effectiveness of the Olifant tank on the South African landscape. It's a not sandy but rocky, hilly and muddy for the most part. I was at Lohatla Army Battle School in the Northern Cape. Yes dust was an issue from a surprise attack point of view but the excellent gun depression meant we could slowly sneak up and peak over hills and fire without detection - much like the Israelis did and some Centurions in the Korean war. Thx for sharing.

[@vut_zarco]

@I'm Still AliveNot shocked by your question. It is the norm nowadays. You should ask that question to all the kaders in GOVT. I certainly wasnt racist. We were trained to protect our borders and keep everyone safe inside it whether you were black or white.

[@mwnciboo]

@Ua la Halizeti Hmmm not sure the new South African Regime is any better, negatively Racist former, Positively Racist latter. People who throw terms like Racist around, tend to be idealogues who cause more problems than they solve.

[@somethinsomethin7243]

Would the Stryker be a modern equivalent?

[@eugeneleroux1842]

I can testify that this vehicle is 100 % locally designed and built. Even the tyres were locally developed to offer sufficient penetration resistance to thorns, but at the same time being able to handle those high road speeds without over heating.

[@rizzledizzle]

you have no idea how proud this makes me to be south african

[@benitomussolini7382]

Reece Kersten may i ask are you a rockspider or a rooineck?

[@alrichhills1815]

Josef Stalin n fokken witmens jou teef

[@gravitysnegative1962]

You're did an excellent job! You should be.

[@gravitysnegative1962]

Country*

[@AndreasdeV308]

HAHAHAHA, se hom!

[@MrAwsomenoob]

i find it fascinating how south africa has largely forgone the use of tracked AFVs and instead relies on wheeled vehicles in it's military i mean the actual tank they do have are just upgraded centurion tanks and it's amazing how effective wheeled vehicles can actually be, i mean during the bush south african armored cars where able to out maneuver and defeat Angolan t55 tanks and were able to do this over extreme distances hats off to these guys for sure

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

And we only lost the war because.... Yes. Our equipment wasn't actually by any means superior and we were able to compensate for that with operational efficiency and A LOT of practice in the field. Ultimately however logistics are telling and you simply can't compensate for having generally inferior weapon systems.

[@aurathedraak7909]

MrAwsomenoob tracks doesn't suck but hard to fix but wheels sucks but cheaper and easy to use.

[@cnlbenmc]

T-55s without almost any exception is a shitty tank even by 1980s standards and even the most ludicrously modernized variants (mall ninja territory imo) would get butchered by even the 1979 era M1 Abrams tanks if properly used with the 105mm guns and no DU inserts.

[@MrAwsomenoob]

true but the south africans were using armored cars with 90mm guns on them and a tank is still a tank no matter what exactly it's short comings may be.

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

Even the 90 MM equipped Ratel and other Ifv's were obviously inadequate for dealing with the T-55. People keep underestimating Soviet armor/export models as if their use in wildly different environments and in third world armies can tell us much about their actual characteristics. The best supposed intelligence service in the world ( USA ) kept the US from starting desert storm for at least an additional extra month while they were up-armoring the leading tank formations to be able to deal with T-72 Sabot's. Of course they couldn't have known that the Iraqi army never managed to get the later generation of shells and that what they had were not even correctly loaded. These sort of things keep happening and nobody seems to learn from other people's experiences.

[@ash0man]

South Africa has a robust defense industry that took me by surprise. The stated owned Denel firm has a ton of systems including vehicles and missiles and I look forward to your take and presentations.

[@cnlbenmc]

+ash0man+ ironically that industry is somthing that likely never wouldn't have existed if Apartheid hadn't been sanctioned. You never can tell where the twists and turns history will take you.

[@ash0man]

Yea, it's a sad state of affairs in SA that had to spawn such an industry- but did bring rather unique hardware.

[@namelessking8905]

ash0man - Had. It's bankrupt now.

[@joshuamcdonald7154]

Same thing

[@deanfirnatine7814]

@@namelessking8905 Isnt Socialism Great?

[@Marco-nx5tj]

My dad was in the south African military during the Angola border war the war you talked about

[@mich722]

@Berend Emanuel Actually, the SADF had a very high kill rate against the enemy and stopped their advance and objectives. Castro imprisoned the Cuban military commander at Cuito Cuanavale after a 5 hour court martial which says much about what he thought about the outcome and their massive casualties and losses. Also, the SADF inflicted heavy losses against the terrorists with very low casualties on their own side.

[@patriotenfield3276]

@Berend Afri info stop fighting over shitty issues

[@johansmitphotography]

Mine 2

[@epartnersuk]

Michima the problem was that kill rates didn’t make a difference. The NP were measuring the wrong things?

[@bepsolo]

@@mich722 , At the end of the day the racist terrorist are gone and nowhere to be found. Yeah you won and where are you now? hiding somewhere . Enjoy your fake victory.

[@estianburger8709]

Thank you matsimus i am proud to be an south african

[@_Matsimus_]

Estian Burger thanks for watching!!

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

Ek waarsku hom teen die dom mense soos jy en nou ja. Dankie dat jy my punt vir my maak.

[@dudleyabica7732]

Pieter Steenkamp ag dankie man. Lag my dood dat jy dink jy's so slim. Jurre ou jou ma is seeker baie trots. Haar seun hou homself kak sterk agter n keyboard.. maar in die regte lewe scraap hh maar van maand tot maand hahahah.. ai, tog te oulik.

[@dudleyabica7732]

Pieter Steenkamp dom fokin afrikaaner.. hook..sinker..bait.. took it like a fish lol

[@Storytellers450]

Hey Matsimus really happy about this. I am a South African and I am very proud to be one. I know you are more of a land based vehicle guy, but it would be nice if you checked out the Rooivalk helicopter. It was an absolute beast of a machine. Anyways thanks very much for exploring South African military vehicles, I get goose bumps when I find videos about them.

[@_Matsimus_]

John Breet already done a video on it buddy!! ;-)

[@rikicakecreations1615]

Thanks for featuring the rooikat. It took me down memory lane. It was called motley when I worked on it. Motley means "scrambled or deurmekaar in Afrikaans". I worked for LEW, the manufacturer for the turret and I was the first woman electronics engineer and consecently I designed the first FCC (fire controlled computer) in 1987. We used Intel 8 bit CPU (computer processing unit) for the prototype but then Intel flew a 16 bit CPU specially from the states for our upgrade! Parallel processors were just talk of the town. Our first attempt was half successful, as we switch on the radio system during our systems test, the FCC shut off... Too much noise and interference. It turned out we had to redesigned the grounding concept. Remember, electronics in armored vehicles were new back then. Just a note on the comment for the 105 on the turret. 105 would not be good, coz the turret needed to be fast and light and in those days we already had the 105 gun on our G5 weapons platform. The rooikat (red cat🙀) was designed and spec'ed to run fast and shoot fast. I worked on the FLIR as well, so it was formadible at night as well. I remembered when we took her to test on the roads how the public were in awe as we roared down the roads in Irene, Pretoria and moved the turret with ease. Good memories.

[@ewartantonides9729]

Amazing story, thanks!

[@cnlbenmc]

SdKfz 234 Puma, version 2.0

[@johntielemans2057]

Jip thats wat i thought to.

[@iar81c77]

*SUPERIOR DEUTSCH KRUPPSTAHL INTENSIFIES* Hans: How many Pumas do you want us to build? Dolfy: Ja Hans: jAwHoL

[@zackbarrow1927]

Puma is tracked vehicle.

[@EzraeL91]

@@zackbarrow1927 He was referring to the ww2 Puma, a 8 wheel armored recon car with a 50mm gun.

[@evo3s75]

@@EzraeL91 that's also why he said Sd. Kfz. 234 Puma, the IFV puma is called Schützenpanzer Puma if I am right

[@SonicHawk90]

South Africans taking on russian tanks with armored APC's! Thanx for the awesome video!! Ive heard that the Rooikat and Ratel were so versatile that they could replace major components on it while being towed..

[@Gozar111]

As a South African we should celebrate what we achieved more often. Thank you 🇿🇦

[@samj.s3132]

Nice, thanks for covering some of the SADF equipment, it is often forgotten

[@_Matsimus_]

PAvel Solochiny thanks for watching!!

[@BushmanAOD]

Designed by the then SADF but now it is SANDF ... just incase you didn't notice!

[@SimonChristoff]

As a South African and veteran of the Angolan boarder war.... I Salute you for doing it....... This vehicle is still ander appreciated and was amazing for its time

[@JustALeaf9666]

As an American, I am impressed with this armored vehicle, not too shabby honestly. I actually think this is a well put together infantry assualt vehicle. I do enjoy African technology.

[@thesentinel7310]

Omg you're finally doing the G6! I've been obsessed with that piece of artillery since a couple of years ago. I'm looking forward to the video. Thanks Matsimus.

[@TangoSixT6]

Watch out Staff Franken might find you....

[@m1a1abramstank49]

It kind of reminds me of the SDKFZ 234 Puma

[@ReconRookie]

There really aren't enough good videos on South African equipment. Keep up the great work man!

[@MrBandholm]

I would argue that this vehicle are among the most interesting in a modern strategic sense. It is a near perfect reconnaissance vehicle, even in Europe, its gun are good enough and have a decent load of shells (something where the 105 and especially 120 mm would struggle, unless we are talking a three piece ammo), it is light enough and it has a really good range. If it is light enough to be transported by helicopter, then we are talking the near perfect raider style AFV for a small nations marines unit... Imagine an Absalon class ship, bringing a company of marines, with a platoon of these, for raiding against say a Somalian pirat base, or a rapid respons unit against a Boko Haram unit in Côte d'Ivoire... These AFVs could be a real game changer for a country like Denmark or the Netherlands, to bring a bit more firepower to the IFVs they are already operating. Besides an upgrade in electronic systems, the only need I see for the Rooikat is a few anti-tank missiles, just to give it that little bit of punch... But even without those, this AFV is one of the more impressive "complet" AFVs that has been made in a long time.

[@ricardodecastro8118]

bandholm, that is why we have the Ratal.

[@certaindeath7776]

I agree, that the design has some interesting ideas. but to be fit for european needs (to be used by and secure survival of trained crews), it would need many modification. If you put 10 Schützenpanzer Puma, against a hundred of theese in night, i bet the pumas would wreck every single one of those without beeing hit one time. The armour is shit. I highly doubt the stated "protection up to 23mm" Its just simple Steel plate, not even dual layer with gap. I gues its protection is max up to HMGs. Except you hit the angled front in a bad angle, then you may stop 20mm. This vehicle would need a complete overhaul of its hull, a protection up to 25-30 mm on the whole front would be highly desireable. I assume, that with not much more weight, and a mix of steel plate and composite, you could easily achieve that. If you layer the composite with a air cooled gap between this two modules, you would furthermore achieve good thermal camoflage. An option to either put a cage or extra mounted composite armor would be nice too, fe. if you want to use it as transport vehicle, or use it in urban areas. Next point: 9 Shots available?... and then? A vehicle like that would really really benefit from an unmanned stabilized turret and autoloader. Also 79mm is a bit overkill, there is no sweetspot in european warfare for that. Either our vehicles are armoured to resist HMG Fire (12,7), or IFV Shells (20-30mm), or AT. So a 35-40mm gun would seem like a sweet spot. Even more Ammo then the 79mm, and everything available right now, when you need it. For considering it modern, it would also be nice to have the HE ammo with airburst capability. 2-4 BLOS ATGM with SA Capability (Helis) would round the armament up. The optics are outdated. If you need an infrared searchlight to enhance your nightvision, you should be already aware of the bad capability of stock Nightvision. If you want to build an AFV that suits for Europeans, you want to have it multi role and adaptive, so its also capable for different tasks. And it should fit some nishes. One nieshe could be, that its capable to raise main cannon way higher angle than normal, so that you can use it as anti air gun or in urban fights. An other would be modern optics. With IR searchlight you are a shiny bright thing in european warfare night, you would be spotted kilometres away. Thats a NoNo. And then its a big vehicle. With european engineering, you would make more compact parts and design, so that you can use the rear as infantry transport or command module or else. You already considered an electronics upgrade. it would highly profit from that too, but i would put it on last point, everything above would be strenghtening the fighting and surviving capabilities more then that. Sensors to detect laser and radar locks, soft kill APS, command network link etc etc etc.

[@MrBandholm]

CertainDeath777 "If you put 10 Schützenpanzer Puma, against a hundred of theese in night, i bet the pumas would wreck every single one of those without beeing hit one time."... If they doesn't get an upgrade in electronics perhaps, otherwise I highly doubt it! The Puma is not some magical invisible thing, its a IFV with tracks, a 30 mm gun and that is about it. "The armour is shit"... The armour is said to be able to withstand calibers up to 20mm, for an armored reconnaissance vehicle, that is more than acceptable, sure getting it upgraded would not be a bad thing, but we are not talking about a replacement for tanks here, we are talking about a vehicle that can act as an armored reconnaissance vehicle that in relation to, say an expeditionary task force, can act as a fire support unit. Again in that relation its armour is good enough. "9 Shots available?... and then?"... If a reconnaissance vehicle is in need of more than 9 shots, then it has no business starting the fight... Also quit a few tanks has historically not had more than 9 shots in the turret anyway, so it is not that big a deal. "Also 79mm is a bit overkill"... First of it is a 76mm. Second, I don't agree at all with that (for one thing there is no such thing as overkill)! The 76mm brings a lot to the table, a good HE shell against bunkers, infantry and buildings... An anti-armour shell that is more than capable of defeating any IFV/Recon units out there, and if it can get to the side or rear of main battle tanks (where the armour is considerable weaker) it can defeat them too. I am hesitant to claim that it is a so called "sweetspot" gun, but it is a great gun for the support element of a recon unit, and very capable even for a armoured infantry unit (if the MBTs are not, for what ever reason, available). "For considering it modern, it would also be nice to have the HE ammo with airburst capability" Not sure why you say that, given it is a gun used mainly on ships, that also have ammo with airburst capability... The 76 already has this capability. "The optics are outdated" Would be part of the electronic upgrade... There are no question that it needs a fairly big upgrade on a number of areas, that however doesn't change the fact that it is a really strong starting point. "And then its a big vehicle. With european engineering, you would make more compact parts and design, so that you can use the rear as infantry transport or command module or else."... Being big or small has both good and bad points, making it smaller would mean that it is easier to hide, and somewhat harder to hit. Having the size that it does, means that mines are of less of a problem, gives it better view and gives it a capability for easier upgrades. Again upgrading the electronics, so that it can be more effective, is incredible important, but there are absolutely no need for it to be able to carry infantry, that is not its job.

[@certaindeath7776]

The puma has far far superior optics. If your recon vehicles has to use infrared searchlight, to see something, it stands absolutely no chance against modern vehicles. The puma is armoured like a tank too. Your recon vehicle is a gun on paper... the description "can withstand upt to 22mm hits" i highly doubt that. old russian BTR with similar single hull steel armor can withstand up to 7,62 or 12,7mm. i bet the "up to 22mm" is just in case you hit the angled top front armour. on every other place you cut through like a knife through butter. 9 shots are nothing. and i rather would like to have 300 round 35mm then 100 rounds 76mm in combat (from which 9 rounds are availably, what a joke) if the 76mm is capable against modern tanks... i highly doubt it. you would have to get very close to rear or sides... with the superior optics and some tactics of a decent tank crew, no way to get there. The vehicle does not have the capability for airburst. Size gives mine protection? :D how do you explain that :D you can protect from mines with higher tires (more space between mine and hull, thicker armament, and if the crew does not sit on floor mounted seats. size has nothing to do with that. My point was, that the vehicle is so big, that with modern engeniering, it has enough space to fit personell or specialized modules. Again: an electronics uptdate would not do it. this vehicles does not meet the standards and need of modern european equipment in any point. its kind of primitive. a good design. like panzer 5 was a good design. but you would not field panzer V anymore today. Its decent for an african army, against inferior african armies. but as european you would not field it against african armies, cause you want best equipment for well trained soldiers, so your kill death ratio goes highly in your favour. cause we have to avoid losses of well trained soldiers. and the part "use it as recon vehicle" forget about that. We have recon planes, helicopters, sattelite, jets, drones - everyone of those are better suited for that role... our ground vehicles are all multi role. we do not build vehicles for a single task anymore, except its highly specialised.

[@MrBandholm]

"The puma has far far superior optics" Again that is part of the electronic upgrade... We might be talking past each other on this, to me an upgrade in electronics, does not mean just the radio and communication... It is optics (that in modern setups is effected by electronic equipment), sensors, radio, satelites, tires, stabilizers and so on. "Your recon vehicle is a gun on paper" So what? It is a recon unit... It needs to have weapons to ambush or targets of opportunity, and if trouble is on its way, it needs to get the hell out... Recon units are "guns on paper". "I rather would like to have 300 round 35mm then 100 rounds 76mm in combat (from which 9 rounds are availably, what a joke)" Well it doesn't carry 100 rounds... And fair enough, you want a 35mm, with the limitations that leaves you. And 9 rounds available is not a joke, quit a few tanks did not have more rounds ready. "if the 76mm is capable against modern tanks... i highly doubt it"... That is because you don't pay attention then... The side armour of Abrams had to be up-armoured in Iraq due to the vulnerability of RPGs, in Syria both the Syrian army, with its Russian bought tanks, and the Turkish army, with its leopard 2 tanks, have suffered heavy casualties to RPGs and old anti-tank missiles, the 76 the Rooikat is armed with, uses a sabot that is more capable than hand held RPGs... Sure it doesn't stand a chance against the frontal armour of a MBT, and as I said in my first post, I think it needs an anti-tank missile system, but on the side and rear, especially in an ambush scenario, it can do the job with the 76. And against everything else, it is more than capable. "Size gives mine protection? " As you pointed out yourself, the tires gives the blast protection from the mines (as well as the hull shape), that however means the vehicle gets a certain size before all the rest is added... Putting in certain mine-protection capabilities means the vehicle becomes large in size as a result.

[@mornegeringer9044]

Matsimus Thanks for doing a cover on the Rooikat. Never knew much about a native export before your video. Looking forward to your vid on the G-6 - that was always my favorite display piece at the Johannesburg Military History Museum near where I stay. Keep up the great work!

[@zackbarrow1927]

The Ratel and the Rooikat laid the foundation for all the land mine resistant wheeled fighting vehicles out there today.

[@seumasnatuaighe]

The Saladin of the 21st Century. It looks pretty solid by now that 8 wheels are the optimal solution for long range fast reaction AFV's. The 530+hp engine and 100+kph look very good for open bush/desert deployments. Good one Matt.

[@raytheron]

Thanks for this video of one of the best wheeled AFVs around!

[@mitchverr9330]

Technically there "is" a 120mm rooikat, the defense industry mounted a 120mm autoloading remote turret into a rooikat as the easiest way to show off their next generation of remote and armament systems, so it is entirely possible for the vehicle to be upgraded in the future. IIRC it also has the LEDS APS stuck to it to be shown off too. So if any neighbours buy something bigger then a T72a the South Africans can always look to upgun too. (though ofcourse, when you look at it, you do wonder "how is the crew supposed to get out if the turret isnt facing forwards")

[@alphonsdewit7852]

We were there... We delivered.. We made the rules... Retief, we salute our general!.. We were forged in fire... Vlam van die Pantser!!! Thank you so much for this video...ex School of Armour soldier, tanker salute.. Diesel an dust at Lohatla Sands Resort

[@williamashurst5912]

Lohatla was hectic! Was there for operation sweepslag (whiplash) as a gunner on the Rooikat.

[@kroojohn]

Excellent Review. I served at School of Armour, SADF and although I was stationed on the Olifant Mk2 Main Battle Tank, had plenty of opportunity to see this vehicle in action. It is worth noting that the vehicle is served, same as the Olifant MBT, with a manual loader. A well trained loader can load very fast, and definitely outperforms the autoloader systems in many situations.. :) my opinion anyway ...

[@kroojohn]

another interesting fact ... the gun laying / aiming system is still manual ( 1997 ) and this enables the system to function without complicated electronics that can break down, although the Rooikat did have an automatic system as well ... we just needed a laser range finder, and a range drum, calibrated to the different ammunition types, APFSDS, HESH, HEAT , HE

[@mariuserasmus1518]

We were the the first Rooikat squadron at 1SSB in Bloemfontein.Awesome vehicle!!!

[@smari000]

I have been waiting for you to start covering South African vehicles. since a young age i was tolled about them because my dad was a driver during the border war in the late 80's but never been able to find much information on these vehicles.

[@smari000]

Account well we had the U.N "helping" us but just before we could get the capital of angola those busterds did not whant us to have it and told us to stop our advances thus getting sht on by the commies.

[@certaindeath7776]

@Springbok: That would explain, where SA got the technology to build those vehicles.

[@certaindeath7776]

Nah, US buys a lot of stuff from europe. Just a few examples that i know from are the Main Gun of Abrahms (German Rheinmetall Smoothbarrel Gun), or the Glock (Austrian Pistol), i am pretty sure, that there is more.

[@craighagenbruch3800]

I miss my early child hood years and reruns of the 70s, 80s, 90s haha love those old video footage from the 80s

[@jwenting]

The RSA didn't need a bigger gun on the Rooikat because its enemies had (and still don't) have anything that the 76 can't penetrate. And remember the RSA has or had a decent force of MBTs (upgraded Centurions, another home grown project).

[@Sajuuk]

Thanks for this upload, good video, nice to see some support for the great military equipment South Africa has designed and built over the years.

[@kalebbruwer]

That thing has a 1000km range?! I didn't expect this to have much of a range, that's amazing!

[@s.jwilliams5741]

Finaly SA made your channel. I am proud of what used to be an effective military now degraded to an dump.

[@rayyanali4471]

I wonder if we'll be seeing any more of those fancy space age themed guns.

[@janettabotes7043]

greetings from South Africa🇿🇦🇿🇦

[@GreyShirtGuy]

Hey Matsimus, your channel has really helped me research different military vehicles to put into my novel. Albeit it's set in the future and there are significant advances in technology, such as starships, railguns, and walkers, tanks and IFV are still very important in ground engagements. So just wanted to say thank you!

[@_Matsimus_]

Grey Shirt Guy thanks for watching and supporting!! Glad you like it :-)

[@mattbell4498]

Holy mother of 80’s!!

[@frednel4326]

Thnx from a ex 20 mm ratel gunner from 1979 onwards..yeah the Eiland had a little 4 cylinder engine that had the tendency to overheating on long hauls or in hot dusty conditions but packed a solid punch in battle with its 90 mm gun and small cheeky size, the rooi kat is based on the ratel and though the main gun is smaller its still a verry good replacement for the much smaller eland and way more reliable deffo..though its huge don't let that fool u..its so fast as the ratel also is that its a damn hard target to hit if ur not using some sort of lock on system..and yes..wheels can be flat and blown off but like the ratel these things just keep on going lmao 🤣

[@semiedgv]

Dankie Matsimus!

[@alrichhills1815]

Biased Sherman Jaa jis ons was n lekker weermag gewees

[@semiedgv]

Also, Rooikat is pronounced like Roy-Cut

[@randomguy1697]

Nou moet ons hom leer Afrikaans praat.

[@boomr334]

Denel also built a hybrid diesel/battery prototype. Electric range was only around 30 km but it meant the cold start issue diesels have wasn't a disadvantage. Battery power also gave it a quiet approach capability, which in thick bush would be a big advantage. Sadly, it has never progressed beyond prototype.

[@guitarsword1]

Really impressive vehicle . Ahead of our time in modern warfare.

[@georgeandlek]

Australia needs about 250 of these!

[@joshuanicholls2127]

Nice to see variation on the channel! Good job Matsimus👍

[@_Matsimus_]

DatBoi TheMeme thanks :-) glad you liked it

[@five1692]

Proudly designed and built by the Afrikaner !!!!

[@davethorstry6700]

'n Boer maak a plan

[@jollygoodyo]

Wow based on their promotional video, I'm convinced that they've developed the Airwolf as well!

[@ironichumorist]

How sad to realize that the current SA government has totally destroyed this technological prowess

[@bepsolo]

How??

[@ironichumorist]

@@bepsolo do you remember when SA was a nuclear power and had one of the leading science and defense industries in the world? I do.

[@bepsolo]

@@ironichumorist , So? You got nuclear tech from israel despite the sanctions.

[@ironichumorist]

@@bepsolo no, dummy. SA had an independent nuclear program in the 70s and independently built its own nuclear reactors. Now the major cities cant figure out how to get enough water. Of course I'm sure you cant see the difference.

[@mrsoshadabaadman]

@@ironichumorist That's because running water and electricity was meant for only 10 of the population. With no intention to grant access to the other 90% till the end of apartheid that is .As far as water delivery and the electric grid capacity is concerned.

[@haydendill6288]

Nice vehicles and I got the G6 model, but its a shame what they are doing to their farmers.

[@alrichhills1815]

@Matsimus Thanks for Doing the Video we have been waiting for

[@_Matsimus_]

Alrich Hills glad you liked it :-)

[@jamisonmaguire4398]

If only the SADF had upgraded this into a vehicle with a 120 cannon it would have been a world beater and been a contender to sell worldwide.

[@psykology9299]

there was atlest 1 functional 120 rooikat but it was purely a prototype as the 76 did everything it had to

[@Skaven-gy5eq]

Hey man, love the video, I work for the SANDF, and just wanted to say they also did make a 105mm version, so there is 2 that I do know off but yes there is a 105mm turret config and manufacture product also.

[@thepiratepenguin4465]

Thanks Matsimus.

[@_Matsimus_]

Jacques Nowell no thank you!! Have a great day!!

[@musicality2654]

As a South African I'm so grateful that your talking about my countries military, it makes me feel more patriotic about my country. Also Rooikat is pronounced "Roy - Cut"

[@emiliodeolim-thefisherman9957]

Wow. These dutchmen know how to make good weapons

[@secretsanta9293]

This is and was the vehicle to meet S Africa's needs. Very interesting information on an impressive wheeled vehicle.

[@jdbankai1950]

South African here. VERY appreciative of the extra attention!!! How about he Olifant tank? And the G5 and/or G6 artillery pieces? Or the Rooivalk Attack helicopter?

[@iamthebatmanxiii3574]

Hey awesome! You actually did the Rooikat! Thank you

[@Milo_1368]

And now they don't even have the means to filter water... Shame really

[@prashantmakemerich]

Goodspittin the zero day must b near now. !!

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

Day Zero was moved back to July and again this issue had nothing to do with filtering water and everything to do with the DA government being unable to do proper city planning along with giving subsidies to wealthy developers and the like.

[@LostMoose89]

Deterioration of advanced systems and planning capabilities are bound to happen when you fire highly trained technicians and scientists via Affirmative Action and employ less experienced individuals who are more keen on getting a kick-back than doing scientific research. There are the exceptions to this fortunately but they are too few to stem the tide of decay. New hiring practices at companies such as Denel (State own by the way) also look more at employing, party deployed loyalist than actual technicians and scientists. Furthermore Denel, like so many other state run enterprises, is mired in corruption and ineptness of administrators. Truly heartbreaking to see all that potential going to waste. TIA

[@LostMoose89]

+Blah b I am truly saddened to hear that you and your family members have had such an atrocious experience. I am guessing that most of your travelling was in the eastern & northern parts of South Africa? Few people not born here can truly comprehend the strange realities of South Africa. There are unfortunately many who almost seem brainwashed in terms of their self hatred and white guilt. If you wanna talk more on the subject or anything related to South Africa and its strangely fascinating realities please send me a message via Facebook messenger. Francois.kemp.35

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

I wont speculate on how much of this is the truth so i all i will say is that you must have been rather crazy to think that in just about the most unequal society on earth there aren't people interested in able to take whatever they can from you. If you think this was JUST about race you can always go to Brazil or many other countries where you can't walk around certain places after dark either. Either way it's much easier to simplify everything to racism so that is what the racist with all the money does. The overwhelming majority of victims areas, own your own car and afford all the other security measures.

[@johnwilson2338]

@ approx the 10min time frame, I had to laugh, due to the distortion of sound of the likely old-ass VHS tapes, but I still found it interesting and view worthy!

[@olaruud9366]

I think wheeled vehicles are gonna be best for the next major conflict. Strategic mobility, rapid deployment and easier logistics will be winning features. Tanks are easier to kill now and speed will be better than heavy armour and tracked mobility. Not that we wont need tracked tanks and apcs as a powerful tool, but i think QRF forces on wheels would be very useful and first into any fight.

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

easier to kill now, you do realise that the current missiles needed to kill a modern T-72 is double the price of a T-72, you could literlly out number the missles needed to kill an MBT with MBTs. wheels are all well and good on roads and in dry country but as soon as it rains they suck, they are also useless in almost all terrain generally speaking, the rooikat has some of the best off road mobility of all wheeled vehicles yet it is still way slower and more restricted by tracked vehicles.

[@behemotharnogroenewald2612]

Thanks alot for giving my country some spotlight.

[@_Matsimus_]

Arno Groenewald any time! It deserves it

[@carmatic]

thumbs up for this video because i've never heard an old skool south african accent until now

[@_Matsimus_]

carmatic haha awesome! Thanks for watching

[@candidodacquisto7930]

Most of the ones I know just sound like Australians that roll their R's

[@carmatic]

to be honest i was expecting the narrator to sound alot more like 'Ninja' a.k.a Watkin Tudor Jones , the rapper from Die Antwoord or at the very least, a rugby player from the Springboks

[@vapour250]

Thanks for the video, sounds accurate. I was trained on the rooikat as part of my military service in 1992. The rooikats mobility was truly amazing , it goes anywhere without a hitch. We never got stuck once in the year thatI spent on it. The cannon was impressive as well. The armour piercing FS sabot round went through a T72s armour, burning a hole as big as a fist as it exits on the other side. I agree with you that an105mm gun would have provided better HE (high explosive) rounds. The HE rounds did have a programmable timer function so that the round would bounce on the ground and then explode, causing fragmentation against infantry. The car was technically very reliable and I think it would have been a formidable adversary on the border war. Unfortunately the border war ended just before the rooikat was introduced so it did not see any action.

[@woooweee]

They once were developing nuclear weapons, and now their largest city is on schedule to run out of water, how times change.

[@johannbezuidenhout2976]

Once had nuclear weapons that were decommissioned after 1994.

[@user-qf3qb2nr8o]

@@johannbezuidenhout2976 I wonder what atrocity happened in 1994?

[@ebenswanepoel5475]

@@user-qf3qb2nr8o the country was handed over to a corrupt terrorist organisation... that was the atrocity.

[@kobienel6085]

Google "The bomb that never could be used". We build it just because we wanted to know if we can.... just out of curiosity.

[@DAcomfortzone]

Yes because government created the drought.

[@KoteDarasuum]

God damn im just lookisng through comment section and see Matsimus giving heart to so many comments. That makes me feel happy because unlike many channels of this size he actively reads comments and cares about hes fans.

[@russellmcphee72]

Thanks mate. The promo video is pretty old but I would love you to do The Eland and Ratel. They were great against the T-34 and T55 tanks the Angolans were using with the Cuban help.

[@pietersteenkamp5241]

They were more than inadequate against the T-55 and that's why they were withdrawn from that role....

[@kobusdowney5291]

Nice! Thanx Mat! Next: G6 Artillery Piece. Can't wait!

[@christheone248]

The good old days of the 80's when we could still build things like this, and then the ANC took over and FUCKED everything up for the whole country!

[@w.f.heldmyer7770]

Dude! Quality content! But BREATHE once in a while. Wall-to-wall high-speed narration is overwhelming. Best wishes for your continued success!

[@prashantmakemerich]

In my opinion 76 mm is a smart choice, 105 would be overpowered or over engineered, plus it will loose agility of putting rounds downrange with higher reload time, and heavy gyros to stabilize as the intended use will b against light skin tecticals or at Max a BMP, 105 apfsds shell would go right through the light armor without causing fragmentation because of lesser resistance. 76 mm derp shell would b enough but there must b some reason for using apdfsds rounds. Dats my take.

[@mitchverr9330]

Heck, the 76mm APFSDS is capable of taking out a T-62 which was the biggest threat to them, 105mm I suspect is more for "trying to sell" the vehicle.

[@prashantmakemerich]

mitch verr I don't think 76mm would pack a enough punch to pen t-62 from front n sides. What r ur sources to this claim. ?

[@mitchverr9330]

The things I used to have have shut down (this is going back 8 years or so). Some sites like www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18165 still claim it, but if you take the statistical data we have and put it through the lanz-odermatt equation does support it I believe.

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

i remember reading at leas t 1 T-72M was penetrated by the 76mm at 2km, don't know the reliablity though

[@prashantmakemerich]

Matthew Burger I highly doubt that.

[@pacificelectric1955]

Very impressive! I visited RSA years ago and loved it…

[@Galvars]

They actually did build the 120mm prototype with autoloader. And in 12:36 of vid you can see a very unique vehicle, probably the largest and heavies of all, the mysterious Bismark. Not too many info about it can be found, prototype did land in museum happily not scraped.

[@spudmanwp]

That is the German Class 3(P) and has a 105mm gun.

[@Galvars]

@@spudmanwp Because it is in German tree in WT don't mean it's German :P

[@spudmanwp]

@@Galvars Sorry, I meant from a German company (Thyssen-Henschel). A quick Google search says that it's a variant of the "TH-800" hull. As far as WT goes, They screwed up as "copy/paste" tanks are supposed to go into the Tech Tree of user and not the mfg. It should be in the UK tech Tree.

[@Galvars]

@@spudmanwp It have also fictional turret, the one in museum have an Olifant turret. Still a very little information about it, no test data, short description in museum. For most time it was almost forgotten vehicle.

[@spudmanwp]

@@Galvars Thanks for the clarification.

[@moonpatrol9717]

I was a Rooikat driver back in '93, 1SSB Tempe, Bloemfontein.

[@Shelldrakeaus]

I love how the commentator is saying most high tech electronics and she was sitting tightening up a massive slotted screw

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

video was from like 1990

[@Shelldrakeaus]

Matthew Burger well aware i was just laughing at the now out of date tech

[@awbglover]

They didn't make this in 105mm as we had the G6 to cover that requiremennt, at 155mm oh and that was a bloody good vehicle too.

[@fwi1298]

this vehicle might meet afgan requirements as well

[@gerryhildur1345]

i think afghanistan has too varied terrain to warrant a purely desert vehicle

[@chrisleroux6407]

I was a instructor on the 20mm Ratel, so I look forward to your review when you get around to the Ratel range.

[@gorglun]

The 76mm cannon was supposedly based on an Italian naval gun - higher than usual velocity for a 76mm gun.

[@lucapoli4195]

gorglun True, because they even developed an auto-loader mechanism tofit in the turret ad as an eventual upgrade

[@spearton-1912]

"higher than usual velocity for a 76mm gun" smells of pak 40

[@williamashurst5912]

Yes, correct, The Navy operates a small number of 76mm Oto Melera 76mm/62 Super Rapid medium calibre automatic cannon on its Valour-class frigate and Warrior-class offshore patrol vessels.

[@tonyhind6992]

What a fantastic vehicle.

[@drbendover7467]

well, it only has to take out old Russian tanks so a 76mm round is more than capable.

[@_Matsimus_]

Dr Bendover very true. But 76mm is pushing it :-/

[@MrBandholm]

The 76 mm is a very capable gun, it has good anti bunker capabilities, very good HE shells, and it is decent enough in armoured fighting... Sure it is not good against modern MBTs, but it being a armored reconnaissance vehicle, that is not its job anyway! Perfect is the enemy of "good enough", and against most targets, one is more concerned about the amount of shells available than the ability to field a massive gun.

[@zbigniewbiernacki3682]

T-55s were nothing to sneeze at. Luckily most were driven by incompetent crews. Scratch the Cubans as incompetent.

[@mwnciboo]

*T-64 wants a chat with you*

[@empire-classfirenationbatt2691]

Yayyy more South African vids :) South African here btw hoping to join the army when I'm out of school I was surprised to hear that the vehicle could fire APFSDS😱

[@larryblais518]

I wish the US Army got their heads out of their a$$ and created a good wheeled mobile gun platform like this, unfortunately we got stuck with the motor pool maintenance bay ornament known as the Stryker MGS.

[@damien6685]

Thanks for that, in answer to the wheeled component of the design, other than the obvious sand wear issue and the huge benefit in speed, range, etc, etc, was landmines which were used extensively. One will disable a tracked vehicle immediately whereas this and other vehicles of this multiple wheel design could loose a wheel or two and still be mobile, at a reduced capability, but not a sitting duck in a possible ambush situation. One thing you appear not to be aware of is that SA continued to produce similar vehicles for a very large Western presence in the Middle East with similar local conditions. I worked for a sub-contractor that supplied bits and bobs for them at the time. That voice over guy sounds so familiar, can't place him though.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

Interesting. They seem to be using it sort of like a light tank.

[@tremaynechetty8900]

This is an incredible video! thanks for doing this up! I was pretty impressed that it can be an 8 x 8 and also the fact that it had runflats back in t he days!!!

[@HueWave]

I think the EE-9 afv/recon could be a great video, similar capabilities and such aswell it was exported to a lot of nations.

[@nicojonck]

Hi Matsimus Thank you for the nice video. Nice to be South African. You should do more :) To come back to your question about why the Rooikat dont have n bigger gun is because it never runs alone in the battlefield. They always are with Olifant Tanks that is tracked with 105mm L7 gun. While the Olifant Tanks keep the enemy busy from one side , the Rooikat use its speed to flank and get in from behind. That little 75mm gun with the Sabot Shell are VERY VERY deadly. Trust me. The main fact that im trying to explain is that the Rooikat always have support. Mostly from our main battle tanks. My days they use to have a 105mm L7 gun but there was roamers before i left about an upgrade to the Mk 2. Once again well done and thank you very much Please do a video on the Olifant Mk1B Main Battle Tank or Mark 2

[@jackd736]

Great video. Thanks.

[@_Matsimus_]

Qak Qakason thank you :-)

[@Jamal_dont_mess]

Rooikak was finished around 1990 so it never saw service in border war the same as Rooikak helicopter

[@patrickoberem9109]

Matsimus thanks. You have to remember that this vehicle was developed during the 80's. I certainly wouldn't have liked to try and get a bead on it.

[@thelieutenant7732]

Has anyone realized that a salvo round looks like a giant thumbtack stuffed into a shell casing?

[@christophershort8745]

Always makes my day better to here that bell and see you're newest posting. You without question know you're facts. Thank you for all your effort. 😆🤘💚

[@yoloactual6975]

Let's make one thing very clear, Afrikaner developed these weapons systems. South Africa as a "nation" did not.

[@prashantmakemerich]

gosh i waited for this series so long.

[@_Matsimus_]

prashantmakemerich haha hope you liked it

[@deanejoyce5393]

The choice of 76 mm may have been largely due to Denel knowing the oto melara naval gun and being able to easily modify it for one shot, manual reload. The 2nd (and perhaps brilliant) reason might be balance. Wheeled vehicles seem not to be very good at handling larger calibers (they bounce and rock) so, if you are looking for accuracy while traveling at high speed, the 76mm was a great choice. The 105mm seems to have come along in an effort to increase commonality with potential customers using NATO 105mm guns, but doing so overpowers the chassis. You can live with it, but it is not the "designed for" gun. (my 2c, so take it for what it's worth :) )

[@cnlbenmc]

+Deane Joyce+ though the Stryker MGS doesn't seem to have those problems (as far as I heard) but that could be due to the unique remote turret design.

[@jeremy8715]

I’ll only accept 1 cent from you. ☺️

[@deanejoyce5393]

Just a thought, if the Stryker MGS was ("might be" and "pure speculation") experiencing this "overpowering of the suspension system" issue, it might all go away using a weapon system with a "fatter" recoil, like a 120mm gun mortar. Being 120mm, it could use almost all (no long rod penetrators) of the 120mm ammunition available today. You simply screw the warhead off and screw a mortar spigot onto said warhead. You take your high pressure 105mm tube and bore it out to 120mm and it might be able to handle the lower pressures of a gun mortar. Oh, and you also make the 105mm blast wave "go away" so you can mount it on an aircraft air frame (read: AC-130) no problem and oh, you can use strix GPS guided ammo too.... :) In reference to a ground vehicle; A smaller blast wave might also make it more useful to troops on the ground fighting in close proximity to a ground vehicle. The assumption I am making is that the MGS is designed to support troops e.g. take down buildings, etc. as opposed to being a "tank killer". Another alternative to big calibers on wheeled vehicles might be the RUAG 120mm gun as it seemed to have a lower recoil than a high pressure 105mm (?) I do not recall exactly, so something else to explore if I was a Rooikat customer. cheers all

[@deanejoyce5393]

:D

[@cnlbenmc]

+Deane Joyce+ problem is that that it is still supposed to retain the ancillary Anti-tank abilities the Stryker MGS 105mm has with the KE round and would sooner call in a mortar strike from a Sryker Mortar carrier than lose high pressure round capabilities as the US military in general doesn't like low pressure systems in general due to the increasingly uselessness of direct fire HEAT rounds against armor but not necessarily to KE rounds which are still relatively effective even in 105mm format against older vehicles. Even if US forces haven't been fighting against tanks for about 15 years and Striker units would get butchered by any tank that could get close enough to hit accurately.

[@koenvangeleuken2853]

if you compare this vehicle with the Luchs, one great advantage of the rooikat is the independent suspension, it makes it faster off-road, and allows the designers to keep the vehicle low, despite de huge turret. on the drawing in the commercial you can see they were heavily "inspired" by the Panhard suspension!!!(of the old Eland)

[@mikerogers582]

I don't think the SADF adopted the 105, & there has been a canister round developed & adopted. Thanks for a good review. I've seen the Rooikat in action at the Army Battle School, what a machine!

[@cnlbenmc]

+Mike Rogers+ I think their domestic Centurions have the 105s. Unless they for some stupid reason still have the ancient 84mm gun.

[@Rooikat]

@@cnlbenmc The Oilfant (Elephant) does have a 105mm gun.

[@wernervanderwalt8541]

We didn't adopt the 105mm version. All current Rooikats in service is still the 76mm variant. The 105mm variant has been offered on the international market but I 'm not sure if there has been orders yet.

[@liamboyle7749]

Yet another awesome video! I love your content!

[@_Matsimus_]

Liam Boyle thanks Liam I really appreciate that! 👍

[@McRocket]

120 kph...JEEZ.

[@stevenvendetta]

I think this was designed with lessons learned from Blitzkrieg and the Boer Kommando philosophy of high mobility unconventional tactics