Eland Mk7

Eland Mk7
Type	Armoured car
Place of origin	South Africa
Service history
In service	1962 - 1990
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Angolan Civil War Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Namibian War of Independence Western Sahara War
Production history
Designer	1962
Manufacturer	Reumech Sandock
Specifications
Length	3,79 m
Width	1,97 m
Height	2,07 m
Crew	3
Main armament	60 mm breech loading mortar
Secondary armament	2x 7,62 mm machine gun
Engine	Panhard Model 4 HD 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol 90 hp at 4,700 rpm
Ground clearance	330 mm
Operational range	600 km
Speed	90 km/h

The Eland is a South African light armoured car based on the Panhard AML. Its permanent 4x4 drive gives it its mobility, and it can carry either a 90 mm quick firing low pressure gun, or a 60 mm breech loading mortar as main weapons. Night vision equipment provides effective night time operations, and it is provided with a modern telecommunications system.

Production history

South Africa signed a contract with the French company Panhard for AML armoured cars. 100 were delivered from France and local production started in 1962 for 500 units. Later further production was undertaken - bringing the total number of locally produced vehicles to 1300. The Eland Mk7 is derived from the Panhard AML 60-7 armoured car and has been extensively modified (e.g. diesel conversion) by Reumech OMC for use in the harsh African environment. Some were exported to Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco and Zimbabwe. The South African Army has replaced the Eland with the Rooikat AFV.

Variants

• Eland Mk7 - Also known as the Eland 60
• Eland Mk9 - Also known as the Eland 90 - Modified version of the AML H 90 armored car, keeping the Panhard chassis but having a new Hispano-Suiza designed turret with a 90 mm GIAT F1 gun

Operators

Lesotho Defence Force

Military of Malawi

Moroccan Army

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Captured from Morocco in the Western Sahara War)

South African Army (Replaced by the Rooikat)

Rhodesian Security Forces

Zimbabwe National Army

UNITA

Combat history

Elands were used extensively by the SADF during the Angolan Civil War, and were known to crews as "Noddy Cars". They were effective against light armored vehicles and older tanks such as the T-34/85 that were used by the Cubans and the MPLA.^{[citation needed]} A small number of Eland 90s were sold to the Rhodesian government in the mid-1970s to replace the aging Ferret armoured car. They were also used by Morocco in the Western Sahara War, with the Polisario Front capturing some units.

See also

• List of military armoured cars
• Panhard AML

External links

External images
	Photo of the Eland Mk7

• FAS.org