The appearance of the armored personnel carrier class technology was formed many years ago. All models in recent years can be called modernizations, more or less deep, of old technology. Basically, only engines, weapons and equipment are changed. The hull, wheel arrangement and layout of the armored personnel carrier of the same developer are almost always preserved.
The South African branch of BAE Systems - OMC - set out to collect all the experience in the construction and operation of wheeled armored vehicles. Their goal was to create an armored personnel carrier, which will have good combat effectiveness and low cost. Work on the creation of a new armored vehicle began in 2008, and the previous model, the RG-31, was chosen as a role model and to reduce the cost. The new car was dubbed the RG-41.
The result of OMC's work was presented in 2010 at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. A year later, in September 2011, at the London show, DSEi BAE Systems showed a finished vehicle with a full set of weapons and equipment. It was also announced that the RG-41 had successfully passed all tests.
BAE Systems OMC, of course, is trying to prevent large information leaks, so you will have to be content with only the data contained in the advertisement for the new RG-41.
The main strategy for reducing the final cost of the machine was the maximum possible use of existing parts - to save on the creation of new technologies where they can be dispensed with. In addition, OMC made sure that the parts and assemblies used were not on the arms proliferation control lists (ITAR), which will help avoid problems when exporting the vehicle.
OMC decided to make life easier not only for the production workers and the customer's financiers, but also for the technicians who will serve the RG41, including on the battlefield. The armored personnel carrier is made according to a modular design, so minor damage and breakdowns can be eliminated right on the spot, and in the case of large ones, it will be enough to simply replace the damaged blocks with new ones. This also applies to mine protection - a damaged plate can quickly be replaced with a new one by the crew. Mine protection consists of five blocks on the bottom of the armored personnel carrier.
The armament is also modular. The TRT-25 turret, first unveiled at the Paris show, can carry an M242 Bushmaster cannon (25mm) and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. You can also put an ATGM launcher on the turret. In addition to the TRT-25, several other turret configurations are available. For remote control of fire, the RG-41 has an RWS system.
The crew of the car is from one to three people, depending on the ordered configuration. Only the driver is an obligatory crew member, the rest - the commander and the weapons operator - may be absent. When ordering a vehicle in a configuration with a full crew, the vehicle commander (located behind the driver in front of the turret) receives a circular video surveillance system. The troop compartment can carry 7-10 soldiers. The maximum lifting capacity is 11 tons.
The RG-41 is powered by a Deutz 2015TCD V6. Through a five-speed automatic transmission ZF 5HP902, it rotates all eight drive wheels. The maximum power of the power plant is 390 kW (2100 rpm), and the maximum torque is 2130 Nm (1300 rpm). In practice, these figures give a speed of up to 100 km / h on the highway. If one or more wheels are punctured, then after using special plugs, the armored personnel carrier can accelerate to 50 km / h.
The good cross-country performance of the RG-41 is due to hydraulic shock absorbers (double wishbone and hydropneumatic strut) and a centralized wheel pressure control system.
