Ratel

A pioneering 6x6 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle developed in South Africa during the arms-embargo era, one of the first modern wheeled IFVs to see extensive combat in the Border War. Variants included 20 mm cannon, 90 mm gun and command versions.

In service since 1976 · 3 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

105

km/h

860

km range

mm gun

18,500

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to South Africa export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 3 operators

In service since 1976. Status: legacy · ~1,380 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 105 km/h

Stronger than 87% of IFVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 860 km

Top 6% of IFVs

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 20 mm GI-2 autocannon (Ratel-20)
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 20 mm

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Welded steel, mine-protected hull
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: No

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 7.21 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 18,500 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 7

Stronger than 36% of IFVs

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Büssing D3256 BTXF diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 282 hp

Stronger than 17% of IFVs
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel (wheeled 6x6)

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 1,380

Stronger than 57% of IFVs
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 3

Stronger than 57% of IFVs

Specifications compiled from public Denel Aviation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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