Hippo APC
| Hippo | |
|---|---|
Armscor Hippo at the SAPS Museum, Ventersburg | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974 - 1978 |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Soweto uprising |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Armscor South Africa |
| Designed | 1974 |
| Manufacturer | Armscor South Africa |
| No. built | 275 (Mk 1-R) 402 (Mk 1-M) |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.8 tonnes (9.7 short tons; 8.7 long tons) |
| Length | 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 10 |
Main armament | 2x 7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns |
| Engine | Bedford 2.5 L (150 in3) inline 6-cylinder water-cooled petrol |
| Transmission | ZF 4-speed manual synchromesh (2nd, 3rd, 4th gears) |
| Ground clearance | 32 cm |
| Fuel capacity | 240 litres |
Operational range | 640 km |
| Maximum speed | 73 km/h |
The Hippo is a South African armoured personnel carrier. Specially designed to be mine resistant, it can carry ten infantrymen and a crew of two. The vehicle's remote-operated turret mounts dual 7.62mm machine guns, but like other improvised fighting vehicles, it is only lightly protected against ballistic threats.