The RG-31 Nyala is a
4×4 multi-purpose
mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle
An infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) is a wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) serving as a military patrol, reconnaissance or security vehicle. Examples include the ATF Dingo, Iveco LMV, Oshkosh M-ATV, AMZ Dzik, AMZ Tur, Mungo ESK, and B ...
manufactured in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
by
Land Systems OMC
Land Systems OMC is a South African company that produces a range of armoured vehicles which have been successfully exported and are in service with, amongst others, the U.S., Canadian and South African militaries. It is a division of Denel SOC LT ...
(the division of
Denel
Denel SOC Ltd is a South African state-owned aerospace and military technology conglomerate established in 1992. It was created when the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split off in order for Armscor to become the procurement agency ...
SOC LTD, located in
Benoni, South Africa) and in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
by
FNSS Defence Systems
FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. ( en, FNSS Defence Systems A.Ş.) is a Turkish defense manufacturer founded in 1988. It is owned 51% by Nurol Holding of Turkey and 49% by British–American firm BAE Systems Inc., and operates facilities located i ...
. It is based on the
Mamba APC of TFM Industries.
The RG-31 has become the multi-purpose vehicle of choice of the
UN and other peacekeeping and security forces. It is finding favour with non-governmental organisations requiring a vehicle with a non-aggressive appearance to protect their personnel against
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s.
Design
The RG-31 is built from a
V-shaped all-steel welded armor monocoque hull and high suspension, typical of South African mine protected vehicles, providing excellent small-arms and mine blast protection.
The vehicle is designed to resist a blast equivalent to two
TM-57 anti-tank mines detonating simultaneously. The RG-31 is classified by the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
as a category 1
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; ) is a term for United States military light tactical vehicles produced as part of the MRAP program that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. Th ...
(MRAP) vehicle.
The vehicle accommodates a crew ranging from 5 to 10 depending on mission needs, depending on model. Dismounting is provided via a large air actuated rear door and two front doors, also air actuated.
In July 2016, the
Letterkenny Army Depot
Letterkenny Army Depot (originally Letterkenny Ordnance Depot), the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, was established in 1942. The Depot is under the command structure of the U.S. ...
in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
rolled out the latest variant of the RG-31, with improvements including an engine upgrade from 275 to 300 hp, a transmission upgrade, independent suspension, 360-degree spotlights for night visibility, and an armored gunner's hatch. The depot is scheduled to produce 929 improved RG-31s through 2020.
Production history
Variants
Variants come in either an
armoured personnel carrier (APC) or utility vehicle (cargo) configuration.
* RG-31 Mk3A – based on Mamba APC
* RG-31 Mk5
* RG-31 Mk5E – An extended Mk5 with larger passenger/cargo capacity and superior blast and ballistic protection.
* RG-31 Mk6E – Enhanced crew protection
* RG-31 Charger – US Army version of the Mk3 with a
Detroit Diesel engine and Mk5 with a
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
engine
* RG-31 Sabre – cargo version
* RG-31M – features a military wiring harness, central tire inflation and several other new characteristics. This vehicle has a crew of 5.
* RG-31 Agrab;
Mortar carrier version with
SRAMS (
Super Rapid Advanced Mortar System).
Operators
![Iraqi National Police armored vehicles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Iraqi_National_Police_armored_vehicles.jpg)
*:
**
Burundi Army
The ''Burundi'' National Defence Force (french: Force de defense nationale ''du Burundi'', or FDNB) is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi.
A general staff (''État-Major Général'') commands the armed forces, ...
***12x RG-31 Nyala
*:
**
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...
***75 RG-31 Mk3 with
Protector (RWS)
The Protector RWS is a remotely controlled weapons station (RWS) that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms. It has been in full scale production since December 2001. It is manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway.
...
Remote Weapon Station; replaced by
Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle
The Textron TAPV (Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle) is an armoured car currently in use by the Canadian Army. It is essentially a heavier armoured upgrade of the M1117 Armoured Security Vehicle, developed for use by the military police of the US ...
**
London Police Service
The London Police Service (LPS), or simply ''London Police'', is the municipal law enforcement agency in London, Ontario, Canada.
The LPS does not enforce federal statutes including the '' Criminal Code'', provincial offences such as the ''High ...
***1x RG-31 Mk3A, currently used by the Emergency Response Team
**
Durham Regional Police Service
***1x RG-31 Mk3A, Tactical Rescue Vehicle donated by General Dynamics to the Tactical Response Unit
*:
**
National Army of Colombia
The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, an ...
***4× RG-31 Nyala
*: 150× RG-31 Mk5E Nyala with Samson remote Weapon Station (+ option for 30 more) already deployed in Lebanon and Afghanistan.
*: 5× RG-31 Nyala
*: 1× RG-31 Nyala
*
*
*
*: 76× RG-31 Nyala
*
*
*: 7× RG-31 Nyala Mk5E, currently used by the
Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force
The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). It is used primarily during domestic protests, with some border and customs duties; the force has never been involved in a foreign ...
(UEDF).
*: 76× customized RG-31 Mk5
*: 30× RG-31 Nyala
*:
**
US SOCOM
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
***50× Mk5A1S
**
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
***148× RG-31 Mk3 Charger,
***257× Mk5A1
***111× Mk5E
**
USMC
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
***12× Mk5A's (
MRAP
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; ) is a term for United States Armed Forces, United States military light tactical vehicles produced as part of the MRAP program that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IE ...
Cat I)
***1385× Mk5E's (MRAP Cat II)
**
Academi
Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996 by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009 and known as Academi since 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors. ...
Combat history
![RG-31 damaged by a mine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/RG-31_damaged_by_a_mine.jpg)
*
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
– Canada, (including 5 leased to Netherlands) (
ISAF
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
), United States, and Spain
"Chacón afirma que el blindado evitó un "mal mayor" en el ataque de Afganistán"
''La Vanguardia'', 19 June 2011
*Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
– UNPROFOR
The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...
*Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
/ Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
– Canada
*Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
–- UN
*Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
– United States
*Colombian Armed Conflict
The Colombian conflict ( es, link=no, Conflicto armado interno de Colombia) began on May 27, 1964, and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between the government of Colombia, far-right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and far-left guerril ...
* Ivorian Civil War
*Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
– UNOCI
*Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
– KFOR
*Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
– UNIFIL
*Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
- Uganda People's Defence Forces
The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...
*Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
- United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
as part of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
*Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
- MINUSMA
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (, MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise t ...
*Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
- UNDOF
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The mission was established by Unit ...
, later captured by rebel groups, eventually captured by Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
See also
;Other wheeled APCs and IFVs developed in South Africa
* Buffel
The Buffel (English: ''Buffalo'') is an infantry mobility vehicle used by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It replaced ...
* Casspir
The Casspir is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that has been in use in South Africa since the 1980s. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport of troops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers an ...
* Mamba APC
* Ratel IFV
The Ratel is a South African infantry fighting vehicle. It was the first wheeled infantry fighting vehicle to enter service worldwide and was built on a modified MAN truck chassis. The Ratel was designed in response to a South African Army specif ...
* RCV-9
The RCV-9 is an armoured personnel carrier intended for riot control purposes and manufactured by Land Systems OMC (a business unit of BAE Systems) of South Africa.
Production history
It was developed in 1986 as a private venture by Sandock-Au ...
* RG-12
* RG-19
The RG-19 Caddie is a prototype Armoured Personnel carrier manufactured by TFM of South Africa. The company was later taken over by Reunert Defence OMC.
Production history
It was developed in 1982 as a private venture by TFM and was based on the ...
* RG-32
* RG-33
* RG-34
* RG-35
RG-35, is a South African mine resistant ambush protected vehicle developed by Land Systems OMC, a subsidiary of BAE Systems. The RG-35 was introduced in 2009 as a 6x6 vehicle, and a 4x4 version is also under development with the designers inten ...
;General
* Infantry Mobility Vehicle
An infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) is a wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) serving as a military patrol, reconnaissance or security vehicle. Examples include the ATF Dingo, Iveco LMV, Oshkosh M-ATV, AMZ Dzik, AMZ Tur, Mungo ESK, and B ...
* MRAP (armored vehicle)
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; ) is a term for United States military light tactical vehicles produced as part of the MRAP program that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. Th ...
* List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
This article lists modern armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) produced or used after the Second World War.
Argentina
AFVs produced in Argentina
* TAM
* VCTP
* Patagón
Australia
AFVs produced in Australia
Wheeled armoured fighting vehicles ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rg-31 Nyala
Armoured personnel carriers of South Africa
Armoured fighting vehicles of Canada
BAE Systems land vehicles
Military trucks
United States Marine Corps equipment