The Grasskat APC
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“The Grasskat, what can you say? No fuss, no pretension, it just gets on with the job.”
Catherine Wellon: Field Notes and Personal Diaries, Volume 1 University of Victoria Press, 2207 The only member of the Redkat family to be funded as a private venture, the Grasskat sets out to be a vehicle that does the job required and nothing more. There is no glamour in the Grasskat line, little in the way of headlines in the military press, but there are sales, and there are profits, and to the shareholders of NWV those are as important as anything else.
FV8462 Grasskat
Armoured Logistics Vehicle/Ambulance FV8467 Grasskat-N Special Liaison Vehicle
Variants The baseline Grasskat-IFV retains some pretensions to
being considered an IFV, but the austere design paradigm means that
the Class A1 turret of the Redkat has been replaced with the Class A2
mounting a 25mm Autocannon with co-axial VR5, provision is made for
a missile system although none is fitted as standard and the Verlet
Defender PDS is available as an option. Crew consists of driver, commander
and gunner, the commander does not have an independent sighting system
and so cannot acquire new targets while the gunner engages the current
one. 8 dismounts can be carried and are provided with firing ports (two
to each side, one to the rear). Azania has procured large numbers of
Grasskat IFVs, license built by Armscor, to equip its second-line Territorial
Commandoes and paramilitary forces and it was in Azanian hands that
the Grasskat first saw combat during the Invasion, serving on both Nyotekundu
and Joi.
The FV8461 gives up any pretension to being considered
anything other than a battle taxi, mounting
the Class B2 turret with only the VR5 MG and VR8 30mm AGL (the B1 turret
is available as a customer specified upgrade). The commander fights
the turret and the elimination of the gunner allows the capacity of
the vehicle to be increased to ten dismounts at some reduction in personnel
comfort. Sales have been made to several of the Indian States.
FV8462 Grasskat
Armoured Logistics Vehicle/Ambulance The FV8462 is an unarmed version of the FV8461 available
configured either as an armoured logistics vehicle (Grasskat-L) with
a cargo-roller loadbed, or as an armoured ambulance (Grasskat-A) capable
of carrying two litter cases and three seated casualties. Further customisation
into specialist variants is left to the customer. Armscor in Azania
has produced a complete range of workshop and recovery variants for
the Azanian Army.
FV8463 Grasskat-AT
Missile Carrier The FV8483 Missile Carrier mounts a Class A2 turret
re-engineered to be compatible with most major heavy anti-vehicle missile
systems. One missile pod can be carried on either side of the turret,
which retains the 25mm autocannon, VR5 and Verlet Defender of the standard
configuration. The Black Arrow fire control system is compatible with
Sky Streak, Viperelle, Aero-12, Luchs, Striker, Khinzal and sPzR-1 missile
systems and capable of being reprogrammed for others if the customer
so requires. Standard crew consists of driver, commander and gunner,
but the troop-compartment may be configured for a variable number of
dismounts if so desired. Reloads are carried in the troop-compartment,
no autoloader is provided and reloading must be carried out by hand
from outside the vehicle. Azania has procured an Armscor produced variant
with an Armscor designed turret mounting the Umkhonto AVM with an autoloader,
a half-dozen reloads and two dismounted gunner/scouts carried in the
troop-compartment.
FV8464 Grasskat-CP
Command Vehicle The Grasskat-CP mounts the Class B1 Turret with VR-5,
AGL and PDS. Crew consists of a driver and gunner plus five command
staff. The baseline C4ISTAR suite is very austere, but upgraded systems
are available and NWV will integrate any command suite the customer
is willing to pay for. Armscor produced variants for the Azanian Army
have a near-first line command suite, though those vehicles intended
for the paramilitary border police have a system only a little better
than the baseline.
FV8465 Grasskat-MC
Mortar Carrier The FV8465 takes indirect fire support back to its very
basics, mounting an infantry mortar firing through an open roof hatch.
The mortar is mounted on a turntable permitting 360 degree fire but
that is the only real refinement in the design. Crew consists of driver,
commander and two mortar crew. The British L55A2 120mm mortar is the standard
weapon, but any mortar of approximately the same dimensions can be fitted
if the customer so desires.
FV8466 Grasskat-IS
Internal Security The Grasskat-IS consists of a Grasskat hull fitted with
the mission package from the Tirat-R Riot Control Vehicle. The increased
hull volume over the Tirat-R allows carriage of both the tankage for
the water-cannon and of four dismounts. Significant sales have been
made into the Indian States.
FV8467
Grasskat-N Special Liaison Vehicle. The Grasskat-N parallels the Tirat-N as a protected
vehicle suitable for use by NGOs. White-painted ambulance-configured
Grasskats carrying the Red Cross and Crescent marking of the ICRC&C
have been a common sight in news reports as the Liberation has pressed
forward up the French Arm. Even where the Kafer threat is low or non-existent
the Grasskat-Ns have provided a safe haven for aid agency personnel
wherever the crowds have turned ugly or human marauders have happened
on the scene–this has particularly been the case on Nous Voila despite
the best efforts of the troops there. Less often seen in front of the
camera, but almost outnumbering the NGO vehicles are the Grasskat-Ns
of media organisations, most configured with sensor masts and a satcom
suite that would put a military command vehicle to shame. Prominently
identified by their station logos, these vehicles seem mostly to have
settled on a very pale blue colour scheme to distinguish them from military
vehicles. Unfortunately no one has yet managed to enlighten the Kafers
as to this distinction.
18/08/05 Copyright 2005, David Gillon |
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