- Yes
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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.
In 1983/84, the South African Defence Force (SADF) Anti-Aircraft Regiments primarily relied on towed GAI-CO1 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. However, with the SADF’s shift towards mobile warfare, towing these weapons became impractical. The first mobile anti-aircraft vehicle prototype emerged during this period, conceived by Johan Craft. It featured a Mercedes Gun Tractor modified with three wooden railway sleepers and bolted mounts for the gas-operated GAI-CO1 20 mm gun. These vehicles underwent the additional testing and firing trials for the self-propelled GAI-CO1.
These initial testbeds helped refine the weapons systems for integration on to the Buffel platform, creating the Ystervark, a much more advanced, mine-resistant platform, which gained fame for shooting down an Angolan Mig-23, among other aircraft. The Mercedes Gun Tractor 20mm, or MGT 20, would provide an interesting alternative to the Ystervark, with the same firepower and gun laying capabilities, on a less mobile platform, but with much better firing angles, without the huge drivers cab on the Ystervark to obstruct the cannon.
Specifications
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Firepower
Info taken from War Thunder wiki - accuracy is dependent on Gaijins sources
Chassis
As far as I’m aware the base truck is a militarised Mercedes-Benz 911 B, however if anybody knows anything more certain I will be happy to correct this.
Cubic capacity: 5680 ccm
Power: 130 HP
Top Spped: 100 km/h
Engine: 6 cyl. Diesel
Weight empty: 5910 Kg
Weight maximum: 7490 Kg
Transmission: selectable 4×4, rear diff lock
Ground clearance: 29 cm
Length: 6.60 m
Height: 3.20 m
Width: 2.45 m
Images
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Sources
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Surviving The Ride, Steve Camp & Helmoed Romer Heitman, 2014
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/south_africa/ystervark-spaag/
South African Tank and AFVs (1950-2030)
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/south_africa/ystervark-spaag/