SA Armour Museum
Medium Turret Technology Demonstrator
Crew: 3
Combat Mass: 28.5 tons
Armament: 105 mm GT-7 Gun
Engine: Twin-turbocharged, water cooled, 10-cylinder diesel Atlantis engine fitted with an intercooler which can produce 563 hp @ 2400rpm. (20.1 hp/t).
Transmission: Hydro-mechanical, manual shift, drop-down gearbox. The gear selection range consists of six forward, a neutral and one reverse gear.
Suspension: Fully independent internally driven trailing arms, coil springs and shock-absorbers.
Speed: Road 120 km/h - Cross Country 50 km/h
Operating Range: Road 1000 km - Cross Country 500 km
There is a general belief that the vehicle below is a purpose-built Rooikat 105/120. This is, in fact, not true. The Medium Turret Technology Demonstrator (MTTD) was an independent project to develop and test the feasibility of a 105 mm high-pressure and 120 mm low-pressure main gun mounted on a remote turret in conjunction with an autoloading system and various other technologies. The loader (left side of the turret) and crew commander (right side of the turret) positions were moved into the hull giving rise to the depressions in the hull on either side of the main gun. The MTTD also features a mockup of an Active Protection System (APS) launcher on the rear of the turret. The APS would have increased the survivability of the platform when facing anti-tank missiles. The decision to mount the MTTD on the Rooikat hull was made by the defence industry as it was easier to transport and display. There are no currently known plans for building Rooikats fitted with this turret and gun.
Source: SOUTH AFRICAN ARMOURED VEHICLES: A History of Innovation and Excellence
