The Matador is an

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

(APC) and

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun M ...

-protected vehicle that is produced by

Paramount Group Paramount Group is a South African aerospace and defense group, operating in the global internal security and peacekeeping industries. Established in 1994, it offers a range of military aircraft, armored vehicles, maritime systems, equipment, an ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The vehicle was displayed for the first time in 2007, during the

International Defence Exhibition The International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) is a biennial arms and defence technology sales exhibition. The exhibition is the largest defence exhibition and conference in the Middle East and takes place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emir ...

and Conference in

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

. The Matador was officially launched the following year, at the 2008 African Aerospace and Defence exhibition in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

Vehicle specs

With a curb weight of 10,800 kg and a payload weight of 4,500 kg, the Matador has a maximum crew capacity of fourteen, including a driver and co-driver. The vehicle has a cruise speed of 100 km/h and a maximum range of 700 km. Although it can be used for military and

peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...

operations in urban areas, it was originally designed for missions in less built-up areas. It therefore has a larger turning circle compared to its sister vehicle, the

Marauder Marauder, marauders, The Marauder, or The Marauders may refer to: * A person engaged in banditry or related activity ** Piracy ** Looting ** Outlaw ** Partisan (military) ** Robbery ** Theft Entertainment * ''Marauder'', the second novel in th ...

, which was specifically developed for urban areas. The Matador is either equipped with a militarised

MAN A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

engine integrated with a 12-speed

semi-automatic transmission A semi-automatic transmission is a multiple-speed Transmission (mechanics), transmission where part of its operation is Automation, automated (typically the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input is still required to launch the vehicle f ...

, or a

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, electric vehicle components, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipmen ...

engine integrated with a fully automated 6-speed

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

. Both technologies are common around the world, allowing the vehicle to be repaired and serviced in most countries, without requiring an independent logistic system.

Armour

The Matador is fitted with a double-skin

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

hull, which gives it a modern look and a smooth finish while protecting its occupants against blasts up to STANAG 4569 Level III, the highest level of tested protection. The V-shaped hull comprises three self-jigging plates. This system, developed in South Africa, enables the Matador to withstand the blast of a double

anti-tank mine An anti-tank or AT mine is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Compared to anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines typically have a much larger explosive charge, and a fuze desi ...

(14 kg of TNT) at any point beneath the hull, and a triple anti-tank mine (21 kg of TNT) under any wheel.

Armament

The vehicle can be equipped with light and medium-calibre machine guns and cannon weapon installations, as well as mortar firing platforms,

missile launchers A rocket launcher is a weapon that launches an unguided, rocket-propelled projectile. History The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China consisted of arrows modified by the attachment of a rocket motor to the shaft a few i ...

, combat turret, and command, surveillance and control systems.

Functions

The Matador can be converted to serve various purposes and roles, such as armoured ambulance, command-post vehicle, or utility mine-protected vehicle.

Production

In 2008, for the manufacturing and production of the Matador, the

liaised with King

Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...

and the Design and Development Bureau (KADDB), Jordan's primary governmental military institute for the possible development and manufacturing of defence systems. In 2009, a deal was sealed with the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan to produce Matadors via knock down kits.

Operators

* :

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

ordered 30 Marauders in 2012 and these were assembled in that country between 2013 and 2014, according to

SIPRI Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade a ...

. In 2012 the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence Industries (MDI) ordered 30

and 30 Matador mine protected vehicles, following the establishment of a joint production facility in the country and the production of an initial 15 Matador and 15 Marauders under a joint production agreement set up in 2009. * : 13 sold in 2013. *

References

{{Modern IFV and APC Armoured fighting vehicles of the post–Cold War period Armoured personnel carriers of South Africa Military equipment of Azerbaijan Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s Wheeled armoured personnel carriers Armoured personnel carriers of the post–Cold War period