Olifant Tank, South African Defense Force
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The Olifant Tank was developed by the Olifant Manufacturing Company which was based in South-Africa, and was basically a modified British Centurion tank. Development of the Olifant tank was started in 1976, and production started in 1983. Olifant is the Afrikaans word for Elephant, which I think is a good name for an unstoppable tank.
The tank is fitted with a 105mm gun, fitted with a thermal sleeve for sustained accuracy. The tank carries 68 rounds of ammunition, and is also fitted with two 7.62 mm machine guns, of which one is an anti aircraft gun. The tank is also equipped with a laser range finder as well as night vision. The tank can also emit a smoke screen to hide in - nice. The tank also protects the crew against landmines by a double armored floor.
The tank has a 900 horse power V12 air-cooled diesel engine, which powers the tank to a top speed of 58 km/h and a range of 350 km. The tank can wade through 1.5 m deep water and can go up a gradient of 60 degrees - Impressive.
Below is a photo of the upgraded MK1B Olifant Tank
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The video below is a rather long video comparing the American M1A2 Abrams SEP versus the South African Olifant Mk.1B tank! It however gives some interesting stats on both tanks.
Follow the links to read more about the Olifant Tank1, Olifant Tank2
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.