RG35 MIV
Motorised Infantry Vehicle
RG35 MIV
BAE Systems South Africa, formerly Land Systems OMC, South Africa has unveiled a new variant of their RG35 4x4 vehicle. This new vehicle is called RG35 MIV - Motorised Infantry Vehicle- which is a strange description for a 4x4 armored vehicle.
The former RG35 RPU (Reconnaissance, Patrol, Utility) -shown below- was unveiled in 2009 and was a contester in the Canadian Army's 4x4 TAPV programme that was won by Textron. The RG35 RPU is an 18 ton 4x4.
RG35 RPU
RG35 MIV has a Gross Weight of 21tons, which is quite high for a 4x4 vehicle. This weight is supported by the large 16R20 tires which are mainly used for vehicles in the 8x8 class.
The dimensions are given below:
RG35MIV is powered by a Cummins diesel engine with either 450HP or 600HP output. I would go with the 600HP option for the maximum weight of 21tons to provide best HP/ton ratio.
The vehicle in the APC configuration can carry a 10 men crew including driver and commander.
The thing that got me most is the large windscreen instead of periscopes. It will certainly provide a very good situational awereness for the driver and the commander sitting side-by-side. The amazing thing is the windscreen having ballistic protection against 14.5mm heavy machine gun rounds satisfying STANAG 4569 LvL4.
Speaking of protection, RG35MIV is protected against blasts of 10kg TNT under tires and 8kg TNT under the belly.
