South Africa’s State-owned defence industrial group Denel has announced that its recently acquired subsidiary, Denel Vehicle Systems (DVS – previously BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa or LSSA) has finalised a R900-million contract with United Arab Emirates group Nimr. The deal covers the development and supply of the N35, hitherto known as the RG35, armoured and mine protected vehicle.
“We are delighted to work with Nimr, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wheeled armoured vehicles,” affirmed Denel group executive: business development Zwelakhe Ntshepe. “There is a strong synergy between our companies and products and we are confident that we can, together, develop and improve the N35 to be among the best in its class.” Denel describes the N35 as “an armoured vehicle with superior mine protection and combat capabilities that can be used in command, ambulance and recovery roles”.
This is one of the biggest contracts DVS/LSSA has won in the past few years. It will ensure work for two of DVS’s three major divisions for the next two years, namely OMC (for the vehicles themselves) and Gear Ratio (for the assembly of the driveline components).
The then RG35 was first revealed in 2009. That first version was a 6 × 6 vehicle. In 2011, it was complemented by the development of the RG35 4 × 4, which is intended as an armoured and mine protected reconnaissance, patrol and utility vehicle. The 4 × 4 version incorporated a number of significant changes, and the 6 × 6 design was amended to include these changes, resulting in a commonality between the two versions of more than 85%.
The improvements made included a modern, high-capacity, independent suspension system, which is hydropneumatic and fitted with a ride height management system; a payload of up to 13 t, depending on role and application; and wide body variants which could be equipped with one- or two-man turrets, while also providing excellent space utilisation, yet retaining compactness.
Other improvements came in the form of a range of options. Both the 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 could be fitted with a 441.3 kW (600 hp) power plant, resulting in power-to-weight ratios of up to 29.42 kW/t (40 hp/t). (The original 6 × 6 model’s engine was a 336 kW or 450 hp unit.)
They could be equipped with seats in their rear compartments which faced forward, inward or outward. There was an optional hydraulically operated rear ramp and an optional powered side door, to improve the boarding and exiting of the vehicles.
In 2013, its developer, the now DVS, described what is now the N35 as a “crossover combat vehicle [that] is a mine protected multipurpose fighting vehicle, with wide ranging applications from armoured personnel carriers to infantry fighting vehicles. Further versions include ambulance, command and control, fire support, recovery and engineering platforms”.
Ntshepe noted that the contract confirms Denel’s pre-eminent position in the area of mine protected vehicles and landward mobility. It is the latest of several contracts to be won by DVS after it joined the Denel Group.
Altogether, the group’s landward defence businesses have been awarded deals worth more than R1.5-billion over the last few months. These included a nondefence contract from Steloy Castings for components for new electric locomotives for national freight railway group Transnet.
Another contract is for for 24 mobile mortar platforms (based on the RG31mine protected vehicle), including technical support, which will be delivered over the next year. Finally, a number of contracts have been awarded by South African defence acquisition agency Armscor, for the supply of spares for, and maintenance of, South African National Defence Force combat and supply vehicles.