Rooikat MTTD

Description

The Rooikat Medium Turret Technology Demonstrator (MTTD) was a prototype based on the Rooikat hull to test the possibility of an autoloading system mounted in a remote turret. The loader and commander positions were lowered into the hull, leaving a smaller turret occupied solely by the gun and autoloading bustle. A mock launcher for an active protection system was also installed on top of the turret, but not fitted with any of the equipment required to allow it to function.

Introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike", the Rooikat MTTD is a powerful upgrade over the preceding Rooikat Mk.1D. Featuring a 105 mm cannon like the Rooikat 105, it offers strong firepower coupled with the quick autoloader continuously reloading at rates matching those of other vehicles' ace crews. With the top DM33 round, the ammunition options are sufficient for the opponents the MTTD will face, and it retains the excellent mobility of previous Rooikats that make them such versatile vehicles. However, with the addition of the autoloader and lower-profile turret, a compromise must be made — the MTTD lacks common features such as smoke grenades or machine guns, which players may come to rue in particular times of need.

General info

Survivability and armour

The Rooikat MTTD can generally be considered to be lightly armoured. The frontal armour can resists machine gun fire, or autocannons from long-range and at an angle. Side armour can be penetrated by machine guns larger than 12.7 mm at close range, with the rear armour being even weaker. A somewhat spacious hull allows for poorly aimed shots to potentially fail to hit any critical modules, but chemical rounds will destroy the vehicle through overpressure. The turret features recessed crew members, allowing for careful use of the gun depression to only expose the gun and auto-loader ammo rack when hull-down. Chemical rounds may very well still trigger overpressure when hitting the turret, or detonating the turret ammo rack. The Rooikat MTTD features poor overall armour and survivability, and should use the vehicle's mobility to avoid the possibility of receiving a hit in the first place. The vehicle also inherits the stock brown-yellow camouflage from the rest of the South Africa line, allowing the vehicle to be easily spotted on non-desert maps.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
• Wheel (tires, torsion bars)

Notes:

• Tires and torsion bar are 10 mm thick.
• Belly is 15 mm thick.

Mobility

The Rooikat MTTD features extremely good mobility, with limitations. The engine will power the vehicle to a top speed of 130 km/h (AB) / 120 km/h (RB/SB) on roads, though the average speed is around 35 to 55 km/h off road. The wheeled chassis will allow to turn the vehicle without losing too much speed, though the size of the vehicle means it will have a large turn radius, and it lacks the ability to perform neutral steering. Like for most armoured cars, snow, sand, and dirt will bring this vehicle to a crawl (<10 km/h in RB/SB). Performance on any sort of hill or incline is poor with low traction, making some normally accessible slopes impossible to climb. Although the vehicle is capable of high speeds, care should be taken to plan and familiarize map routes that will allow this vehicle to reach an advantageous position quickly. The vehicle characteristics favour open, rural maps over urban maps. When on urban maps, the vehicle's large turning radius will hamper its freedom of movement in narrow streets and between buildings.

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition

Ammo racks

Usage in battles

The Rooikat MTTD is a versatile and mobile tank destroyer best suited for aggressive flanking manoeuvres and hit-and-run tactics. Utilizing its excellent speed and manoeuvrability, quickly reposition to outflank opponents and exploit their weaker side and rear armour. The autoloader mechanism ensures a consistent rate of fire even with a reduced crew, allowing for rapid follow-up shots and increased damage output.

When engaging enemies, take advantage of the vehicle's good gun depression and low profile by utilizing hull-down positions. This will minimize the risk of being hit while still being able to effectively engage targets. The laser rangefinder and thermal imager provide valuable information for accurate targeting, especially in long-range engagements or poor visibility conditions.

Offensive Tactics:

• Flanking Maneuvers: Utilize superior speed to outmanoeuvre opponents and attack from unexpected angles, exploiting weaker armour.
• Hit-and-Run Tactics: Quickly engage targets and then reposition before the enemy can retaliate. The autoloader ensures rapid follow-up shots during these engagements.
• Hull-Down Positions: Utilize the good gun depression and low profile to minimize exposure while still engaging targets effectively.
• Long-Range Engagements: The laser rangefinder and thermal imager enhance accuracy in these situations, allowing for precise shots at a distance.

Defensive Tactics:

• Avoid Direct Confrontations: The Rooikat MTTD's light armour makes it vulnerable to enemy fire, so prioritize avoiding head-on engagements.
• Utilize Terrain: Leverage hills, ridges, and other terrain features to conceal your position and ambush unsuspecting enemies.
• Quick Retreats: If overwhelmed or outmatched, use the vehicle's speed to disengage and reposition to a more advantageous location.
• Teamwork: Coordinate with teammates to create crossfires and maximize your damage output while minimizing individual risk.

Map Selection:

The Rooikat MTTD excels in open, rural maps with ample space for manoeuvring. Avoid urban maps with tight spaces and limited flanking opportunities, as these environments negate the vehicle's speed and manoeuvrability advantages.

Limitations:

• Light Armour: The vehicle's primary weakness makes it susceptible to enemy fire and requires a cautious play style.
• Terrain Sensitivity: Mobility is significantly hampered by uneven terrain, mud, snow, and sand, requiring careful route planning.
• Poor Hill Climbing: The lacklustre power-to-weight ratio limits its ability to climb steep slopes or obstacles.
• Limited Penetration: The GT-7 cannon struggles against the frontal armour of late-model Soviet MBTs, forcing flanking manoeuvres or targeting weaker areas.

By understanding the Rooikat MTTD's strengths and weaknesses, and adapting your tactics accordingly, you can maximize its effectiveness on the battlefield and achieve victory.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Autoloader mechanism offers reliable reload time
• GT-7 cannon ballistics characteristics are competitive
• The superb top speed of the Rooikat chassis remains
• Equipped with features enhancing its combat capability: laser rangefinder, thermal imager, ESS and NVD
• Crew location and good gun depression allow safer hull-down attacks

Cons:

• Only 3 crew members
• No secondary armament or coaxial machine gun
• Mobility is heavily affected by uneven terrain, mud, snow, sand
• Lacklustre power-to-weight ratio: struggles climbing slopes or rocks
• GT-7 penetration is unreliable versus late Soviet MBT frontal armour as on T-72 (Family), T-80 (Family) or T-90A

History

The Rooikat Medium Turret Technology Demonstrator (MTTD) was a private venture to test the concept of a Rooikat-based 105 mm / 120 mm gun turret with an automatic loading system.

It used a regular production Rooikat hull with a completely new two-man turret. The loader/commander was positioned on the left side of the turret and the gunner was located on the right side, both in sunken positions allowing a low profile wedge shape for the turret where the crew was located. The main gun was in the centre, a 105 mm high pressure gun but it was intended also to test a 120 mm low pressure gun. The main gun was automatically loaded with ammunition from the turret bustle. An active protection system (APS) mock-up was located on the rear of the turret but was not functional. The Rooikat MTTD was only a demonstrator vehicle and never entered production.^[1]

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Rooikat MTTD from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

• M1128

External links

References