SA-manufactured Armoured Vehicle, New Version

BAE Systems South African business, Land Systems OMC, has launched the RG31 Mk6E, which would debut at the African Aerospace & Defence 2008 show in Cape Town on Wednesday. The RG31 Mk6E is the latest version of the company's explosive mine resistant personnel carrier RG series of vehicles, which are manufactured in Johannesburg. The RG31 is a 4x4 mine-protected vehicle with a V-shaped hull that protects the crew against anti piercing rifle fire, anti-tank mine detonations, and a number of improvised explosive devices. We are confident that this latest development, will further entrench our South African business as the world s leader in mine protected vehicle technology, said Land Systems South Africa MD Johan Steyn. Among the latest developments incorporated in the RG31 Mk6E were new anti-mine seats, which provide enhanced protection to the occupants from lumbar spinal injuries caused by the shock-waves associated with land mine detonations. The seats incorporate shock attenuation crushable elements developed at Land Systems OMC. Tests have shown that these absorb some of the vertical impulse associated with mine blasts, reducing the likelihood of injury during large landmine explosions. Earlier RG-series vehicles could also be equipped with the new seats. Land Systems OMC s RG-series of products have boosted South African exports by more than R3,5-billion, since the company received a Canadian armed forces order for RG31 Mk3 vehicles in 2003. Steadily increasing orders for vehicles, spares and support from new customers around the globe have also boosted exports. The RG series builds on the three decades of experience we have gained in South Africa, through vehicles such as the Casspir, Mamba and Mfezi. Its success is a result of our ongoing investment into ever improving the vehicle s protection levels. We achieve this by applying new concepts and designs influenced by customer and operator feedback and simulation, explained Steyn.