RBY MK 1
Encyclopedia
The RBY Mk 1 is a light armoured reconnaissance vehicle that was produced by the RAMTA Division of Israel Aircraft Industries
. It was replaced in Israeli service by the RAMTA RAM 2000 family of vehicles, though it continues to be used and upgraded by foreign users. The RBY Mk 1 is no longer marketed to new customers.
operations, internal security, and long range patrols.
Considerable design effort was put into making the vehicle mine resistant - the wheels and axles were placed as far forward and backward as possible to maximize the distance of any detonation away from the crew and passengers, the bumpers were made of fiberglass so they would disintegrate in an explosion and minimize hazardous debris, and the thickest armour was incorporated into the floor, and the floor and hull were shaped to channel explosions away from the vehicle. Outside of the modified Guatemalan versions, the RBY Mk 1 had no doors (crew entered through the open-topped passenger compartment) to ensure that the hull had no weak points.
The weight of the vehicle was kept light enough to make it transportable by heavy lift helicopters, such as the CH-53 Sea Stallion
.
While the RBY Mk 1 featured no integral armament, provisions were made for up to five machine gun
s by placing pintle mounts at various points around the vehicle.
Passenger seating was provided with two, back-to-back rows of three outward-facing seats. This allowed the passengers maintain a full 360 degree field of view, and operate any mounted machine guns.
roof for what had been the open cargo/passenger box, and access doors on either side of the vehicle for the now enclosed rear compartment. The roof incorporated a ring mount for a machine gun.
, 16 rounds of ammunition and crew positions in place of the normal passenger seating.
Israel Aircraft Industries
Israel Aerospace Industries or IAI is Israel's prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 16,000 employees as of 2007...
. It was replaced in Israeli service by the RAMTA RAM 2000 family of vehicles, though it continues to be used and upgraded by foreign users. The RBY Mk 1 is no longer marketed to new customers.
Design
The RBY Mk 1 with a variety of potential applications in mind, including reconnaissance, commandoCommando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
operations, internal security, and long range patrols.
Considerable design effort was put into making the vehicle mine resistant - the wheels and axles were placed as far forward and backward as possible to maximize the distance of any detonation away from the crew and passengers, the bumpers were made of fiberglass so they would disintegrate in an explosion and minimize hazardous debris, and the thickest armour was incorporated into the floor, and the floor and hull were shaped to channel explosions away from the vehicle. Outside of the modified Guatemalan versions, the RBY Mk 1 had no doors (crew entered through the open-topped passenger compartment) to ensure that the hull had no weak points.
The weight of the vehicle was kept light enough to make it transportable by heavy lift helicopters, such as the CH-53 Sea Stallion
CH-53 Sea Stallion
The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
.
While the RBY Mk 1 featured no integral armament, provisions were made for up to five machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s by placing pintle mounts at various points around the vehicle.
Passenger seating was provided with two, back-to-back rows of three outward-facing seats. This allowed the passengers maintain a full 360 degree field of view, and operate any mounted machine guns.
Guatemalan Upgrades
In the mid to late 1990s, the Guatemalan Army began testing an upgraded and modified RBY MK 1. The new RBY MK 1 featured a new, more powerful diesel engine, and a kevlarKevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
roof for what had been the open cargo/passenger box, and access doors on either side of the vehicle for the now enclosed rear compartment. The roof incorporated a ring mount for a machine gun.
Variants
RBY Mk 1 Anti-tank - A modified version of the RBY Mk 1 was produced which featured a 106mm recoilless rifleM40 recoilless rifle
The M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...
, 16 rounds of ammunition and crew positions in place of the normal passenger seating.
See also
- RG-31 Nyala - A more modern mine protected vehicle
- MRAPMRAP (armored vehicle)A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected is a family of armored fighting vehicles design led by the United States Marine Corps in use by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Operations Forces with the goal of surviving IED attacks and ambushes - prompted by US deaths in Iraq...
- A family of vehicles designed to survive mine attacks and improvised explosive devices