Uganda unveils new armoured vehicle

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni inspects a Chui armoured vehicle. (Uganda People's Defence Forces)

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) have a new type of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) called the Chui, Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of its land forces, announced on 19 October.

He released photographs of his father, President Yoweri Museveni, with the 4×4 armoured vehicle, which he said “was fully designed and manufactured in Uganda”.

The Chui appeared to be identical to the Nyati mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle (MRAP) that was unveiled by the South African company Twiga earlier this year.

Twiga told the South Africa's defenceWeb news website that the Nyati was already being produced under a technology transfer agreement for an African launch customer it did not identify.

Twiga and its Kampala-based affiliate Impala Services and Logistics previously established a manufacturing and maintenance facility for the Nyoka armoured vehicle at the UPDF's Magamaga Barracks. The Nyoka is a version of the South African-developed Mamba.

Twiga says the IFV variant of the Nyati has a light turret that can accommodate a 20 mm gun, although the Ugandan one that was displayed had a protected weapon station with a 12.7 mm DShK heavy machine gun and two QZL-87 grenade launchers on pintle mounts that can be operated from the passenger compartment.