Ratel 20
| Crew | 3 + 9 Infantry |
|---|---|
| Main Armament | 1 × 20mm dual feed cannon |
| Secondary Armament | 1 × 7.62mm co-axial MG 1 × 7.62mm GPMG in AA mount on the rear of the vehicle 4 81mm smoke grenade launchers |
| Ammunition | 1200 20mm rounds 6000 rounds 7.62mm |
| Combat Mass | 18.5ton |
| Hull length | 7.21m |
| Width | 2.7m |
| Height | 2.395m |
| Engine | 12 liter six cylinder in line turbo diesel |
| Power output | 230kW |
| Fuel | 480litres |
| Road Speed | 105km/h |
| off Speed | 30km/h |
| Road Range | 1000km |
| aging Range | 600km |
| Gradient | 27º |
| Step | 0.6m |
| Trench | 1.15m |
| Ford | 1.2m |
Description
The Ratel 20 carries three crew members and can accommodate anywhere from eight to eleven mounted infantry. In line with the doctrine of offensive operations, which requires rapid closing with and destruction of the enemy, the main variant of the Ratel features a two-man turret with the first-ever dual fed F2 20 mm quick-firing cannon. This is a licensed copy of the French GIAT gun and produced in South Africa by LIW, which later became Denel Land Systems. The cannon’s primary purposes are to lay down sustained suppressive fire, engage enemy troops and to destroy soft-skinned and lightly armoured enemy vehicles. The 20 mm cannon produces a high rate of fire to support dismounting infantry with HE rounds effectively up to 2000 m and AP rounds up to 1000 m. The Ratel 20 also carries three 7.62mm which was primarily used for local and air defense.For more detailed information on the Ratel visit Tanks Encyclopedia http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/South_Africa/ratel/
