The Mamba is a South African

infantry mobility vehicle An infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) is a four-wheel drive armored personnel carrier (APC) serving as an armed military transport, military patrol, reconnaissance or security vehicle. Those IMVs are distinct from 8-, 6-, and 4-wheeled APCs (su ...

designed for

internal security Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other Self-governance, self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats. This task and rol ...

purposes. It was developed during the late 1980s to replace the

Buffel The Buffel (English: ''Buffalo'') is an infantry mobility vehicle used by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It replaced ...

in service with the South African military and security forces. The first models were built on a 4X2

Toyota Dyna The Toyota Dyna () is a light to medium-duty cab over truck for commercial use. In the Japanese market, the Dyna is sold alongside its twin called the Toyota ToyoAce, Toyoace. The Toyoace was a renaming of the Toyopet SKB Truck as a result of a ...

chassis, which was subsequently replaced in production around 1994 by a more reliable

Unimog The Unimog (pronunciation in American English: ''YOU-nuh-mog''; British English: ''YOU-knee-mog''; German: , ) is a Daimler Truck line of multi-purpose, highly offroad capable AWD vehicles produced since 1948. Utilizing engine-driven power tak ...

chassis. All marks of the Mamba were designed to be mine-resistant and blastproof.

Development history

Mamba Mk1

The

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

issued a requirement for a new armoured vehicle in 1987 capable of a wide variety of roles, namely border protection and internal security. The Mamba Mk1 was developed the following year and utilised the chassis of a

4X2 truck. A number were accepted into service between 1990 and 1994.

Subsequent marks

After 1994, the Mamba utilised a

truck chassis for better off-road performance and ground clearance. The first units were derived from surplus

vehicles. Its V-shaped hull is designed to deflect a mine blast away from the occupants. It is powered by a 352N

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

6-cylinder diesel engine. The Mamba entered service in 1995, and is still in use with the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The Chief of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister of ...

(SANDF) and several other countries. The SANDF now uses the Mamba Mk2 and Mamba Mk3 versions, with 600 Mk2s upgraded to Mk3 configuration. The Mamba is in length, in width, and has a height of . The four-wheeled vehicle can carry up to 10 passengers, excluding the driver. A roof hatch allows a gunner to use the weapon mount, which can be equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun. A large door at the rear of the vehicle provides access to the passengers and crew. The Mk3 features better ballistic protection over the Mk2 – the latter can withstand impacts from up to

7.62×51mm NATO The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, straight walled, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries. First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first be ...

rounds, while the former is capable of handling 5.56×45mm NATO impacts. The Mk3 is also lighter, more stable, has lower operating costs and comes with an 8-speed transmission compared to the 4-speed transmission of the Mk2. However, the Mk3 has a range of only whereas the Mk2 has a range of . The Mamba also provides protection against mines of up to . It has

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

capability, and can achieve a top speed of . Apart from the APC role, the vehicle may also be used as an ambulance, a command vehicle, a VIP transport, or a logistics vehicle. The newest Mamba, the Mk5, is manufactured by N4-Trucks in South Africa, and delivers from a water-cooled Iveco engine, a range over 600 km, over 4,500 kg payload, and a B7 ballistic protection versus previous B6 capabilities of the Mk1-Mk3.

Combat history

Mambas have been deployed primarily with peacekeeping missions mounted by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

. The Mamba has seen active service with the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA), the

United Nations Protection Force The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...

(UNPROFOR), the

United Nations Force Intervention Brigade The United Nations Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) is a military formation which constitutes part of the MONUSCO, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). It was authorized by the United ...

(FIB), and the British contingent of the

Kosovo Force The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force and military of Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (European ...

. During the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

, it was widely deployed by private security contractors in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

Operators

*: 18 *: 10 *: 14 *: 25 *: 3 as of 2013; 7 donated to Ukraine in 2022. *: 10 *: Unknown quantity *: 23 *: 5 *: 6 * *: 6 *: 87 *: 15 *: 7 *: 14 *: 14

Variants and derivatives

Numerous variants of the Mamba have been produced, as well as vehicles derived from it. * Mamba Mk1 - Original 2x4 (Over 500 built by TFM Industries later becomes Reumech OMC) ** Springbuck Mk1 - modified version ** Reva Mk1 - modified version by ICP ** Puma - modified version with a

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

Dyna 7-145 powerplant and drivetrain * Mamba Mk2 - 4x4 (built by Sandock Austral and TFM) Mamba Mk II - Improved production version. ** Mamba Mk2 EE - Version produced for the Estonian Army ** Mamba Mk2 SW - Version produced for the Swedish Army ** Komanche - A short wheeled base (SWB) version which can carry up to 7 troops ** Sabre - 4 man cab with a cargo area in the rear ** Alvis 4 - Version produced by Alvis UK for the British Army ** Alvis 8 - Komanche SWB version produced by Alvis UK for the British Army **

RG-31 Nyala The RG-31 Nyala is a 4×4 multi-purpose Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle manufactured in South Africa by Land Systems OMC (a division of Denel SOC LTD), located in Benoni, South Africa and in Turkey by FNSS Defence Systems. It is base ...

- redesigned version by TFM ** Romad - modified version by Sandock Austral) ** Reva Mk2 - modified version by ICP with Cummins powerplant ** Springbuck Mk2 - modified version *Mamba Mk3 - 4x4 version fitted with Mercedes-Benz 312N engine. Built by Alvis OMC ** Reva Mk3 - modified version by ICP *'
Mamba Mk5
'' - 4x4 fitted with Iveco Euro 3 engine and B7 armor. Built b
Osprea Logistics SA
*'
Mamba Mk7
'' - 4x4 fitted with Deutz BF6L9l4C Turbo engine and B7 steel and glass; upgrade to Stanag 3- with 0.50-cal protection. Built b

http://osprea.com/vehicles/armoured/mamba-mk7/ Osprea Logistics] ** '
Mamba Mk7-X
'' - 4x4 fitted with a Deutz BF06M1015C with 408 HP water-cooled engine. STANAG 4a4b blast protection and STANAG 3- ballistic protection. Built b
Osprea

References

External links

* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Armoured personnel carriers of South Africa Military trucks Paramilitary vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s Wheeled armoured personnel carriers Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War Armoured personnel carriers of the post–Cold War period