- Yes
- No
Introduction
During the South African Border War, and associated conflicts often referred to as the Bush Wars, South Africa’s armoured units played a pivotal role in counterinsurgency and conventional military operations. The South African Defence Force (SADF) relied heavily on armoured vehicles and mechanized infantry to project power across vast and often inhospitable terrains, particularly in Namibia and Angola. These units were key to the SADF’s strategy of rapid mobility, firepower, and the ability to engage both insurgent forces and conventional armies. They operated in some of the most intense battles of the conflict, including Operation Savannah, Operation Reindeer, and the climactic engagements of the late 1980s such as Cuito Cuanavale.
The Eland armoured car, a light and highly mobile reconnaissance vehicle, played a significant role in these conflicts. Usually armed with either a 60mm mortar or a 90mm cannon, the Eland provided essential firepower during skirmishes with guerrilla forces and engagements with conventional enemies like FAPLA.
The variant discussed in this suggestion is the Eland 60, armed with the rather short-barreled M2 mortar. Although this was designed and typically utilised in an indirect fire role, shelling enemy positions with HE, a HEAT round for the cannon also existed. This heat round is extremely low velocity (around 185m/s), but has a respectable penetration of 200mm against a flat plate, meaning it would be an ideal mid-tier light tank.
Specifications
Images
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Sources
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Surviving The Ride, Steve Camp & Helmoed Romer Heitman, 2014
South African Tank and AFVs (1950-2030)
Republic of South Africa - Tank Encyclopedia