Mamba's

[Bomber]

George Wallace,

The chassis you saw at the plant was the foundation of the "Brute" which after no going into the LUVW competition became the Eagle 4.  When you compare the G-Wagon to the Eagle 4, you can see why they could not compete against each other.  The Eagle 4 is intended to compete in the states to replace the hummer.

 

[geo]

Hey Kevin
They didn't discuss the ultimate distribution of the vehicles. Would imagine that the Mambas will go the round and see some use pretty much everywhere.

As has been said, these wheeled APCs are not perfect, not by a longshot but they are certainly superior to some of the kit we have in our inventory and will be a welcomed addition

 

[McG]

As has been said, these wheeled APCs are not perfect,

I'm not a fan of thinking of the Nyala as an APC.  It is a mine resistant vehicle, and your best chance of surviving a conventional AT mine strike.  However, I'm not sure where it stands once we start talking IEDs, off-route mines, direct & indirect fire wpns, etc.  In those incidents, I think I'd rather be in a LAV.

 

[geo]

http://mamba.armour.co.za/

Mamba Ballistic protection
The hull and glass offer protection against 7.62 x 51mm and 5.56 x 45mm NATO ball ammunition. Optional protection against 7,62 x 51mm NATO armour-piercing ammunition is available.

Mamba Interior
The vehicle gives a 360-degree visibility to all occupants at a level similar to the average family station wagon and offers first class ride comfort with the driver enjoying all the benefits of a medium commercial truck.


As I said, not perfect, not by a longshot but
when you get down to it - better than a GWagon,
Nissan Pathfinders or Iltis'

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

what kind of "personal" protection does it have?

 

[geo]

Note that the vehicle was tried and tested by the South African army in it's dealings with the Soviet armed insurgencies that were rife in their backyard beack in the 80s and early 90s.

Mamba Hull and Chassis
The Mamba has and all-welded V-shaped hull of monocoque design with large windows for excellent all-round vision and a large rear door for easy mounting and dismounting. Eight outward-folding roof hatches provide further mounting and dismounting possibilities and for the employment of weapons.

The design and composition of the hull provides protection to the vehicle's occupants against the effects of anti-tank mines with charges equivalent to 14kg of TNT detonated under any wheel or 7kg of TNT detonated under the hull.

Externally mounted fuel and drinking water tanks will blast free of the vehicle in the event of explosions to reduce fire hazards and the ample storage bins are also as standard external mounts.

Additional protection against the self-forming fragment mines, such as the TMRP-6, is available as an option.


As the sales brochure says, lots of options are available.... as to which options Canada has chosen to acquire - your guess is as good as mine but, considering we are current users of earlier versions of Mambe/Nyala - someone in Procurement is up to date on what works and what doesn't... possible/probable some will be available for the February deployment of the PRT

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

do you know if there is a mounted C6?

 

[Spr.Earl]

do you know if there is a mounted C6?

The Mamba has no weapons mount.
It has two up front and seats for 8? in the back.

It's a beast,you will survive a mine strike,depending on the mine.
Its a good 2nd  ech. Mine / EOD Recce vehicle.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

"The Mamba has no weapons mount."

Too bad, other then that sounds like a nice vehicle, although I'm sure stacking enough mines will do the trick.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I think even with stacking you will survive.
It's a good piece of kit.
We used it as a firing point from what 200 m. away on my tour and we were disposing of all kinds of left overs.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

You think it would survive say 5 stacked DM 21's?

 

[Spr.Earl]

Lets not get silly CFL.
No one would waste that many mines on a lucky dip unless he had millions in his TDM. ;D

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Silly is my other middle name.

;D

 

[Spr.Earl]

;D
She's good against blast and shaped charge if the wheels hit them which is the most often type of mine strike but as for the belly I know not.She has a very high ground clearance,so no short arse's apply. ;D

 

[Big Red]

There are pintle mounts and turrets available for the Mambas. There are PSDs here running 2 PKMs with gunshields on the top, or 1 GPMG and 1 m249.  The Mamba is a great vehicle but is severly underpowered.  I think an updated Casspir or Reeva , turboed is a better option.  Can mount more firepower and carry more shooters if needed.

 

[Spr.Earl]

It's a beast and not meant for front line Op.'s.
With in our scope it's a good Mine/EOD vehicle and thats it.

 

[Big Red]

I would take a Mamba over a g-wagon or HMMV for counter insurgency anyday.

 

[McG]

The Nyala is approximately midway between the size of the LAV III and the size of the LUVW.  There for, it is potentially too big for areas that force us to use G-Wagon.  It is also under armed & under armoured for areas that we would use LAV III (unless we intend to hit a conventional AT mine and not face any other type of threat).

 

[Kat Stevens]

You think it would survive say 5 stacked DM 21's?

An M1 MBT wouldn't survive 5 stacked DM 21's, if it went off under a Mamba, the crew would wake up in Oz.

 

[armybuck041]

I'm not a fan of thinking of the Nyala as an APC.   It is a mine resistant vehicle, and your best chance of surviving a conventional AT mine strike.   However, I'm not sure where it stands once we start talking IEDs, off-route mines, direct & indirect fire wpns, etc.   In those incidents, I think I'd rather be in a LAV.

Not a chance my friend....

The big difference being that 90% of the time, the Gunner and CC of a LAV III is heads up, often with an Air Sentry in the back as well... Nyala, because of its great visibility, is all heads down and i'll take being surrounded by 57mm thick glass over having my head out a hatch any day in IED territory.

Everybody is so horny about the LAV III. You have a multitude of useless wpn systems for the current type of operations we are seeing in Afghanistan and yet I would not give it any higher marks for protection compared to the Nyala. I had a Nyala and a LAV III at my personal disposal, on Roto III. I barely ever used the LAV. The only advantage the LAV III had was its ability to run the beat up Jalalabad Highway at greater speeds than the Nyala. 

Although not an APC, which I totally agree, I have seen with my own eyes what .50 Cal from an "Anti-Material" Rifle, will do to the 57mm thick side glass at reasonably close range. The front glass is even thicker. We had the snipers shoot a complete glass panel that was very slightly compromised in the rollover pic above. At 100m only 1 of the 5 rounds fired barely penetrated the glass. It was most likely because the glass was already shattered. Not sure how direct fire .50 Cal stacks up to frag from an IED, but I wasn't worried about it and i'm not so sure the thin skin on a LAV III would have done too much better.

Keep those facts in the back of your head.