IAI announced today that the company has signed three contracts for the supply of 100 RAM armored vehicles from three military customers in Africa. One of these contracts is a follow-on to a previous order in which a military customer ordered 50 vehicles. IAI’s Ramta, the developer and manufacturer of the vehicle expects to complete the delivery of all vehicles within this year (2015). The RAMs will be used mainly for peacekeeping operations in Africa.
The RAM has an armored capsule built entirely of steel armor, providing high level of protection against ballistic, mine blast and IED threats. Applique armor kits are also provided, to meet higher levels of threat. The vehicle is configured to carry various payloads and weapon mounts. Powered by a powerful, air-cooled Deutz diesel engine, the 4×4 RAM can operate offroad and on rough terrain.
To date Ramta has delivered more than 450 RAMs configured as troop carriers, command vehicles, Casualty Evacuation, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions for military and law enforcement customers worldwide. Some vehicles were also configured for protected VIP transportation.
Foreign sources have indicated one of the customers recently to receive the Israeli RAM MK 3 was Senegal. Senegalese forces equipped with the new armored vehicles trained with French forces last month, before their deployment with the rapid reaction force for the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). Since 2011 the French detachment in Senegal has assisted militaries in West Africa, especially with regard to peacekeeping and the launch of Operational Serval in January 2013.
Other African users of the RAM include Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Lesotho, and Morocco.
