Leopard security vehicle
The Leopard Security Vehicle is an unusual land-mine protected APC used by the Rhodesian Government and civilian population during the 1964-1979 Rhodesian Bush War. It offered basic but necessary protection against mine attack through the use of a V-hull.
| Leopard Security Vehicle | |
|---|---|
Leopard Security Vehicle Mk6, No 594 of 700. | |
| Type | MPAV ("Mine Protected Armoured Vehicle") |
| Place of origin | Rhodesia |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Recorded as 2.2 tons (1980 kg), actual weight of dry vehicle without crew 1760 kg |
| Crew | 1+5 (later 1+4 regardless of version) |
| Armor | Early Marks: mild steel plate with conveyor belting sandwiched in-between, later Marks; (lower hull): 12 mm "Bennox" steel plate, (upper hull): mild-steel plate. (The armour was primarily intended as protection against land-mine blasts, and offered limited resistance to small arms fire). |
Main armament | Optional 7.62 mm LMG such as the FN MAG, various anti-ambush devices. |
Secondary armament | Crew weapons |
| Engine | Air-cooled 4-cylinder petrol engine, VW Type 1, dual port. 1600cc |
| Suspension | 2*4-wheel, rear-wheel drive, VW 'Type 2' (T2b) Kombi Transporter / Bus front and rear sub assemblies |
Operational range | Never recorded, but estimated at under 300 km, always considered inadequate due to limited size of fuel tank. |
| Maximum speed | Max 80 km/h on tar road. |
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