ARMSCOR developed the Rhino Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle in the early 1980s following a private needs assessment, shortly after the conclusion of Project Sireb, which evaluated the feasibility of replacing the Buffel MRAP.

Only twenty Rhino vehicles were manufactured for the South African Air Force. Based on the Samil 20 chassis, the Rhino was designed specifically for troop transport and patrol duties around air force bases.

It has a crew of seven consisting of a driver, co-driver in the front, and five troops in the rear compartment. The vehicle features a fully enclosed V-shaped hull, offering excellent protection against landmines, while its armoured hull and ballistic glass windows provide effective defence against small arms fire and light artillery fragments.

Key features include two roof hatches, firing ports beneath each window in the troop compartment, and provision for mounting a roof-mounted machine gun.

The driver’s cabin is accessible via side doors on both sides, reached by a short ladder, while the troop compartment is entered through a small door at the rear left of the vehicle. A spare wheel is mounted at the rear.

Although originally intended for military use, the Rhino went on to prove its worth in a range of international humanitarian demining operations.

It consistently demonstrated its reliability and adaptability as a platform in both conflict zones and peacetime missions.

With the adoption of the Mamba MRAP family by the South African military in the early 1990s, the Rhino was gradually withdrawn from service and subsequently sold to the private security sector.

The Rhino stands as a testament to South African engineering excellence and tactical innovation.

* Dewald Venter is a professor at the Vaal University of Technology.