Trumpeter 09516 1/35 South African Rooikat AFV

The Rooikat AFV is a modern South African wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer. Design work on this vehicle started in 1982, and series production started in 1987 and is still ongoing. The drive is provided by a single diesel engine with a power of 563 HP. The main armament is a single 76mm Denel GT4 cannon, and the secondary armament is two 7.62mm machine guns.

The Rooikat AFV was developed for the South African armed forces when the country was still under an arms embargo related to the apartheid policy. As a result, the export of this vehicle was rather unlikely, which allowed it to be adapted strictly to the requirements of the South African army. First of all, it emphasized the best possible performance – both in the field and on the road – a relatively high level of crew protection, for this class of vehicles at that time, and the use of a cannon that allowed both to support the activities of own infantry and to combat vehicles armored enemy. Finally, a very successful vehicle was created, considered by some to be one of the best in its class in the 1990s. At present, the South African Armed Forces are the only users of the Rooikat vehicles.