South African prototypes, projects, concepts, etc.

[Sea Harrier FRS.1]

Ah, okay - yes that makes sense regards the S75 - I've actually fired the main gun of the Mk.2 at a range target. I have a few photos, that include some of the inside gunner's sights, unfortunately I cannot share them.

It would be good to get the S75 brochure from somewhere.

I had some very good contacts at the School of Armour in Bloem (that explains the above) - not anymore though, pity I could have got all of that info for us (nothing secret of course). I may know Dewald personally, however I would need to see a photo of him to know - It's actually been many years since I moved in the 'right' circles..

Do you perhaps know where the 35mm SPAAG is today - Youngsfield or School of Armour?

That's cool about the Mk.2, very jealous.

I have tried looking for a S75 broqure and have found nothing across the internet. Wish I was around on the internet earlier like the 2000s to get all the information I could.

I have asked and been asked where it was on the War Thunder forums not long ago, and I haven't got a clue tbh. I might ask Dewald where he might think it is and maybe contact some guys to ask about it. I might also ask for the location of the Rooikat ZA-HVM as well. If they both still exist, I want to go and take a shit tonne of photos and maybe get inside and take some more inside both.

Seeing that both anti-air Rooikats, even the one G6 AA, were South African military projects, it is possible that they were all scrapped except for the hulls (so turrets were scrapped) but I really need to check. I should also ask so I can maybe stop by at Kimberley when I go do Fish River Canyon in July.

 

[Sea Harrier FRS.1]

I asked Dewald Venter where he might think the Rooikat ZA-35 and ZA-HVM are and he said, "the ZA-35 is supposedly at ARMSCOR."
If anyone can go there, take a shit ton of photos

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a down note:

Defence budget disappoints - DefenceWeb

In spite of Presidential assurances and some ad hoc allocations, South Africa’s defence budget will shrink by R2 billion next year.

defenceweb.co.za

In spite of Presidential assurances and some ad hoc allocations, South Africa’s defence budget will shrink by R2 billion next year.

This is according to the 2026 Estimates of National Expenditure (ENEs) published by National Treasury on Wednesday alongside Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech.

The 2025/26 defence budget (Vote 23) stands at R59 billion, up from R57.9 billion the year before, but will drop down to R57.6 billion in 2026/27 before increasing slightly to R59.8 billion in 2027/28, and R61.7 billion in 2028/29. This represents a 1.5% average growth rate, which is well below inflation and represents a decrease in real terms.

EDIT: A couple of earlier articles on the funding situation;

The defunding of the SANDF – a deep financial dive - DefenceWeb

In the previous articles, I explored the current state of affairs within the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and unpacked the broader economics

defenceweb.co.za

The defunding of the SANDF – A deep head count dive - DefenceWeb

In the previous article, I unpacked the financial trajectory of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), showing how prolonged underfunding and rigid

defenceweb.co.za

 

[dan_inbox]

I understand even more why the AWB were so popular after and during the '90s.

What's AWB in this context ?

 

[ChaosADD]

I would like move the topic for this forum to the sighting systems from the 90s and 2000s if that's fine.
The name designation is also a simple yet complex thing, the G in GS-XX means it's the gunner's primary sight and C in CS-XX means it's the commander's primary sight

1. First is S60 series of sights, pretty basic but decent the CS60 has a few variants but with only small differences between them.

2. Next we have the S65 sights, just like the S60, good sights but higher levels of zoom

3. Following we have the S72 sights, also called the TIGER sights, these were meant to be mounted in a upgraded T-72M1

4. The S75 series, I don't know if these exist. I was on a call last night with Dewald Venter and he mentioned the GS75/CS75 but he might have been thinking of the S72 sights.

5. Now for a commander anti air sight, used by the Rooikat ZA-35 and Rooikat ZA-HVM prototypes, the AA-CS-300D panoramic day sight, it could elevate to +70 degrees to look into the sky!

6. The gunner sight for the Rooikat ZA-35 and what was first installed on the Rooikat ZA-HVM, you guessed it, the AA-EOT. It had image and FLIR tracking and also had thermal imaging for better searching.

7. Now is the best anti air sight of the 90s (in SA), the ETS 2400 Catchy, specifications are very similar to AA-EOT on ZA-35, due to using the same systems, but with addition of a radar.

Pictures of the sights:

Had to go digging in the archives for the ZA-35 SPAAG (also shown fitted to the eGLAS) brochure

 

[Old Timer]

Sprinkaan is a very interesting concept. It is a great pity that we don't know where it was built and who designed it. If I remember correctly, it used Magirus Jupiter axles but they were mounted on coil srpings, with longitudinal and transverse locating links, and a custom made yoke locating the second axle. The steering for the front two axles was also a custom made setup, and it was powered by a GM 6V-71, two-stroke diesel. The point is, it wasn't just some pampoen tiffie with a hammer and a welding torch who cobbled it together; quite a bit of thought and design went into it and we'll probably never know by whom, and where. All the vehicles evaluated during the development of the Ratel are discussed in the two-volume "Ratel, the making of a legend" books, yet there is nary a mantion of the Sprinkaan.

In the video, it is dragged off somewhere. Where is it currently housed?

The Springkaan was the TSC (Technical Service Corps) effort to design an ICV in response to the Ratel requirement. In those days the Tiffies employed a number of engineers and they were responsible for the Springkaan. It was built at 61 BWS in Lyttleton or maybe at TSC School. The brainchild was Wessie van der Westhuizen, who later left the Army and became the CEO of Reumech in the late nineties. I was told that the Magirus was parked in the workshop and they draw a line on the floor with chalk where the chassis should be cut and the 2nd steered axle should be placed.

 

[Old Timer]

Very much like the experimental 8x8 gun tractor that was built , but from what I can see the 8x8 gun tractor had the extra axle in front of the existing front axle , unlike your idea. The space between the 2nd and 3rd axle on the experimental truck is therefore much longer than your proposed Samil 100 8x8 , and would have affected the turning circle radius negatively.

That is not a SAMIL 100, but a MAN 8x8 that was evaluated as a gun tractor.

 

[kaiserbill]

Under Project Reclaim, the Springkaan, along with other prototypes such as the Krokodil, have been towed from the vehicle park and are going to undergo restoration this year.
So good news.

 

[stimpy75]

....and some more

 

[kaiserbill]

Some new photos have surfaced on Facebook of the large 8x8 Skorpioen vehicle.