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RG-31 Mark 1/2/3 Nyala

Mine Protected Vehicle

U.S. RG-31 Mark 3

Specifications

Country of Origin/Used by:	South Africa (and others including Canada, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, the United Nations and USA)
First Produced/Service Dates:	Mark 1 = 1996 Mark 2 = 2005 Mark 3 = 2005
Manufactured by:	General Dynamics Land Systems –Canada/BAE Systems (Formerly Land Systems OMC)
Crew:	Up to 2+8 (Depending on configuration)
Armament:	Various.  Can be armed with various weapons/mounts including a number of different Remote Weapon Systems (RWS). The RWS can be fitted with 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62 mm MG or 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher.  Other weapons that can be potentially fitted are 20mm Cannon, 81mm Mortar, 106mm Recoilless Rifle and Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launchers.
Engine:	6-Cylinder Turbo Diesel.  Later models fitted with more powerful engines*.
Miscellaneous Info:	Although the RG-31 Nyala (Antelope) series was initially developed from the VERY similar Mamba Mine Protected APC series, the vehicles ended up much different based upon improvements/upgrades made to successive RG-31 versions. In fact, over the vehicle's long lifespan, so many upgrades and changes have been made that it is very difficult to document and identify the different versions and their timelines.  The US Military initially acquired a small number (four) of the Mark 1 vehicles in approximately 1996. Subsequent purchases were spurred on by the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, with the floodgates of acquisitions opening in 2005. That year a combination of the original Mark 1, and improved Marks 2 and 3 were purchased; the latter two following each other closely.  In US Military parlance, all three versions were initially designated RG-31, despite their differences. Retroactively, all three versions have been referred to as RG-31A0.  The Mark 2 vehicle improvements included applique armor and a tire/wheel upgrade.  The main visual difference with the Mark 1 was the reduction in the number of roof hatches from eight small ones, to two large ones.  The Mark 3 quickly followed, containing even more changes.  The Mark 3 had an upgraded hull, improved suspension, more powerful engine*, another wheel upgrade and provision for the fitting of a weapons turret (also retroactively added to remaining Mark 2's). Not surprisingly, these early RG-31A0 versions were improved upon once again, resulting in the very different RG-31 Mark 5 (A1) and Mark 5E (A2) vehicles.    *There is conflicting information contained in references as to the exact engines fitted in some versions, specifically the Mark 3 "Charger".  First of all, we have not located any official US military nomenclature to the "Charger" name.  It appears at to be either a company trade name or a nickname given by the troops.  Second, although it is fairly clear Chargers were fitted with more powerful engines, identifying the specific one(s) has been difficult.  There are many references to the engine being a "Detroit Diesel", but we have not found any specifications or photographs of that power pack mounted in the RG-31.  The only engine we have positively identified in the Mark 3 (Charger or otherwise) is the Cummins QSB 6.7 Ltr (275 hp) turbo-diesel.
Data Sheet Available:	None Available

Photos/Documents

Reference	Source/Provider
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Slideshow Presentation (2011)	US Department of Defense's Joint Program Office-MRAP via David Haugh Collection
RG-31 Mark 1 Nyala MPV Photos	Luis Pitarch - Spain
RG-31 Mark 1 MPV Photos	U.S. Army
RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Photos	DVIDS-Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Photos	Robert Skipper
RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Photos	U.S. Army
RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Photos	U.S. Marine Corps
Canadian RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Engine/Interior Detail Photos	Major (Retired) Don Allen - Orleans, Ontario Canada
Canadian RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Exterior Detail Photos	Major (Retired) Don Allen
RG-31 Mark 3 MPV Photo (Canadian Grenadier Guards)	"Spiegel898" via Wikipedia Commons

References Available

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Model Photos