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DCD Protected Mobility, has acquired the Springbuck® Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) range from Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers and has begun marketing these home grown vehicles alongside its existing range of sustainable products for the defence and security sectors.
"We’re very excited to have expanded our existing product range to include a vehicle that has such potential on the African continent, particularly in terms of emerging markets," DCD Protected Mobility general manager, Andrew Mears, says.
"The Springbuck APC has been designed for ease of operation, maintenance and repair, harnessing internationally available drive-line components for assured performance and availability of parts."
The vehicle, which derives its name from the antelope, known for its toughness and sure-footed dexterity, has been designed around the ergonomics of the driver and crew, specifically for the African market. Mears describes it as "affordable, but not inferior", making it ideal for a broad spectrum of security applications.
"The acquisition of this range is part of a corporate strategy to expand our product and customer base by establishing a footprint in Africa and emerging markets," he continues.
"The Springbuck APCs are lighter than our existing Mountain Lion range and we are confident that DCD Protected Mobility’s international standing and backing will allow its true potential to be realised. Right now we are looking at taking the Springbuck MKVI APC back to the drawing board and fully industrialising it, to affect even greater savings for our customers and further improve its capabilities."
DCD Protected Mobility will showcase the new acquisition alongside its other products at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2012 from 19-21 September, Africa’s largest exhibition of air, sea and land capability.
The permanent 4×4 Springbuck APC features a powerful MWM 6 litre engine and carries a driver and ten personnel. With B6 ballistic protection upgradeable to B7, the all-steel armoured v-shaped hull is designed to withstand a TM57 landmine under the hull, or two under any wheel. The standard configuration can be easily adapted to suit various applications, including an ambulance, cash-in transit, riot control or tactical patrol vehicle and, with the addition of turret-mounted weaponry, the vehicle can also be effectively used in combat.
The unit is 5,883mm long, 2,363mm wide and 2,720mm high, with a wheel base of 3,562mm and a tank range of about 600km. The design incorporates a hydraulically assisted re-circulated ball steering system, with a left or right hand drive option, and its suspension utilises semi-elliptic leaf springs with double-acting telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers.
Weighing in at 6,800kg with a ground clearance of 357mm (under axle), the six-cylinder three-door Springbuck MKVI has a top speed of 115 km/hour and a turning circle of 14.7 metres. With the same dimensions and turning circle as the MKVI, but weighing 7,400kg, the Springbuck MKIV is a one-door four-cylinder APC with a ground clearance of 343 mm and top speed of 110km/hour.
DCD Protected Mobility will offer customers total life cycle support providing maintenance, repairs, logistics information, product support, training and field support.