Offroad Truck & Trailer (OTT) have launched the Puma M26-15 mine protected vehicle (MPV) for the homeland security market and the Hunter Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) for special operations.

OTT marketing manager Hans Kriek says the Puma is aimed at restoring mobility to security forces. Gross vehicle mass is 8mt. The Puma is designed around the Tata 715TC 4x4 high mobility truck driveline and can be repaired and maintained at any Tata truck dealer. The basic armoured prsonnel carrier variant has a crew of 10 including the driver. Two exterior mounted light machine guns can be fitted. Eleven shooting ports enable the crew to fire their personal weapons from inside the vehicle.

Pic: The Hunter LSV

The APC can be configured as a patrol variant by removing four seats, leaving a six-person crew. The patrol vehicle is fitted with a protected cupola with 360° traverse that can carry a 12.7mm or 14.5mm heavy machine gun. “For more aggressive employment a light turret with anti-tank guided missile launcher or an overhead weapon system with a heavy machine gun can be mounted in place of the protected cupola,” Kriek says.

Vital statistics are: Engine- Cummins 6BTAA 5.9-20 with an output of 145 hp (108 kW) and 500 Nm torque; Tata G600 6-speed manual transmission, Tata 2-speed transfer case and Tata FA 104 and RA 104 axles. Ballistic protection is STANAG Level 1 and landmine protection in excess of a single tank mine.

Pic: The Puma

The Samil 20 Hunter LSV offers an affordable and extreme mobility vehicle for special operations and high mobility medium and deep strikes, Kriek avers. The base vehicle is a remanufactured ex-South African National Defence Force high mobility Samil 20 truck. A crew of up to seven including driver can be carried. Armament consists of a ring mounted 12.7mm or 14.5mm heavy machine gun with 360° traverse plus three single pin-mounted 7.62mm light machine guns each with a coverage of more than 100˚. Tare is 5,700 kg, payload 2,000 kg and GVM 7,700kg. The fuel autonomy on roads is 800km and can be extended to 1200km with the use of six on board Jerry cans. Engine is a Deutz F6L913 6 cylinder air cooled with an output of 93 kW (124 hp) and 383 Nm torque. “The Samil 20 has been proven in the harsh African conditions and offensive forces can use the Hunter with confidence to reach deep targets in the harsh African terrain.”