BAe RG-31 Nyala

History of BAe RG-31 Nyala

The RG-31 "Nyala" is another armored vehicle in the MRAP (Mine Protection, Ambush Protection) category offered by BAe Systems Land Systems OMC in South Africa. U.S. and coalition experience with urban operations in the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters shows that there is a lack of market for armored vehicles when entering contested, crowded urban areas.

Regular Humvees were fodder for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and buried mines, so much so that the series ended up being "armored" with officially sanctioned kits and modified crews on site. As a result, the market for MRAP vehicles has grown to the point where there are many players in the global market willing to sell their products - South Africa's experience with such vehicles in past conflicts has made BAe's products a leader.

The

Nyala is a 7+ ton 4x4 wheeled vehicle that protects its crew and propulsion system with a V-shaped hull, armoured walls and floors, and bulletproof glass. High ground clearance ensures excellent off-road capability. Engine installations vary by customer and can support diesel powerplants from Daimler-Benz, Iveco, Detroit Diesel and Cummins as required. Suspension is a full 4x4 with a road speed of 62 mph and a range of up to 560 miles. Dimensionally, the vehicle measures 21 feet in length, 8 feet in width and 8.6 feet in height.

The high profile is partly offset by excellent visibility under the hood and around the actual vehicle, partly by improved situational awareness.

The driver usually sits in the front left of the engine compartment, with a seat on the right. Passengers take their place at the closed rear of the vehicle, with circular fire ports dotted on the side windows of the cabin. In addition to the operator, it can carry up to six combat-ready employees (up to eight passengers in some versions).

In addition to a pair of hinged car-style side doors for the driver and front passenger, a rear door has been added for rear passengers to enter and exit the cabin.

The RG-31 is available in a number of battlefield variants to meet customer needs: the RG-31 Mk 3A is the basic armoured personnel carrier (APC) variant, while the RG-31 Mk 5A is an extended hull, following the standard Mk 5 variant The RG-31 Mk 6E gets an upgraded survival package, and the RG-31M offers additional standard features (such as a central tire inflation system) not found on the base model. The RG-31 "Charger" is a named variant in service with the U.S. Army, based on the production Mk 3 and Mk 5 models, equipped with Detroit Diesel and Cummins engines, respectively.

Another named variant, the RG-31 "Saber", is a cargo-oriented form.

The design of the RG-31 series is inherently flexible, so weapon customization is variable. Some units use manned armored (open-roofed) turrets with a .50 caliber heavy machine gun (HMG), while others opt for the Remote Weapon System (RWS) approach.

Still others have simpler, fully open HMG 0.50 caliber fits.

RG-31 family of operators include Canada (Army, Police), Colombia (Army, Limited Inventory), Indonesia, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria (single example), Rwanda, South Africa, Spain (Army), Swaziland (Army), United Arab Emirates (Mk 5 version) and United States (Army, Marines and Special Forces - using Mk 3 and Mk 5 models).

In addition to its given direct military role, the RG-31 was adopted by government security forces and used in general peacekeeping operations (the UN has an inventory of 30 vehicles).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on armor installation.

Changes