OTT Technologies has unveiled several new additions to its lineup, including RPG net protection, a low cost tyre inflation system and run flat assembly system.
OTT has partnered with the UK’s AmSafe Bridport to offer the Tarian rocket propelled grenade (RPG) net on its vehicles. At the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2016 show it exhibited a Puma 4×4 armoured personnel carrier fitted with the net. The net was developed with the UK Defence Science & Technology Laboratory. The patented fibre net is attached to a lightweight flexible mounting system, which is positioned about 25 to 30 cm away from the vehicle hull. Its key feature is its light weight due to its fibre construction – it is up to 90 per cent lighter than traditional steel and slat armour and 75 per cent lighter compared with aluminium.
The UK Ministry of Defence has ordered the Tarian RPG net, which is being installed on several vehicles, including the Foxhound Light Protected Patrol vehicle. The Danish Army has also ordered the Tarian system as well as other vehicle manufacturers in Europe and Asia.
“The development work that we have undertaken with OTT to showcase Tarian on its M26 Puma demonstrates the adaptability of Tarian to fit a wide variety of vehicle types. The cooperative relationship that AmSafe has developed with OTT will successfully create an integrated anti-RPG protection system for OTT’s range of military platforms,” said Richard Betts, Sales and Marketing Director at AmSafe Bridport.
Also displayed for the first time at AAD was a Puma M36 Mk 5 fitted with a low cost central tyre inflation system. Hans Kriek, Business Development at OTT Technologies, said that normally the air pipes run through a vehicle’s axles, which makes an inflation system expensive. The South African supplied and developed Mavtech system uses pipes mounted on the outside of the vehicle.
Kriek said if drivers want to operate in dense terrain or do bush breaking, the pipes can be quickly taken off and then put back on when needed. The system automatically monitors tyre pressure and adjusts it accordingly. There are three default settings: road, offroad and sand and these can be changed with the push of a button.
OTT also revealed its runflat inserts assembly system, which can fit in a six metre shipping container. This can be moved to where it is needed as it is powered by mains electricity or a generator. The 4 000 kg device is operated by two crew and can remove a runflat insert (RFI) in 30 minutes and insert an RFI in 30 minutes.
Also on display on an OTT vehicle at AAD was a Rhode and Schwarze IED jammer and forward looking infrared surveillance system mounted to a Hunter vehicle while a Desert Wolf surveillance mast was fitted to two OTT vehicles at the show. Another OTT partner is Rippel Effect, which supplies dual mountings on the Puma for its 40 mm grenade launchers. OTT offers a manually operated overhead low cost gun mount for its vehicle range. This can be fitted with day cameras or a thermal imaging camera. The gunner can fire the weapon from inside the vehicle.
OTT Technologies builds wheeled armoured vehicles, including its flagship Puma M26 and M36, but also refurbishes vehicles and provides spares and support. It has produced more than 100 M36 Mk 5 mine-protected armoured personnel carriers for export, with a large number in service with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Mali (MINUSMA and UNMAS, or the United Nations Mine Action Service).
While the M36 Mk 5 is powered by an Ashok Leyland six cylinder diesel producing 220 hp and ZF manual transmission, the M36 Mk 5A can be fitted with a Cummins diesel engine coupled to an Allison automatic transmission.
At Africa Aerospace and Defence 2016, OTT confirmed it had also sold M36 Mk 5 armoured recovery vehicles to an undisclosed export customer. This 6×6 variant is fitted with a protected crew cab and a recovery crane and winches. The M36 comes in a variety of versions, including ambulance, bomb/improvised explosive ordnance disposal vehicle, command post and fire support vehicle armed with a 60 mm or 81 mm mortar.
