Armormax Defence and ST Engineering conducted a live demonstration of the TAC-6 vehicle equipped with the 120 mm Ground Deployed Advanced Mortar System (GDAMS) at Armscor’s Alkantpan artillery range in South Africa’s Northern Cape on October 29, 2025. The event targeted select members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and diplomatic representatives. This setup pairs a high-mobility platform with a rapid-fire mortar to address demands for agile indirect support in contested environments. Verified as complete on December 4, 2025, the trial aligns with SANDF efforts to modernize artillery amid ongoing evaluations of mobile systems.
The TAC-6, a 6×6 tactical vehicle from Johannesburg-based Armormax Defence, starts as a modified Toyota Land Cruiser 79 series with an added third axle for enhanced traction and load-bearing. This design boosts cross-country performance by distributing weight across six wheels, yielding 50% more grip than comparable 4x4s. Gross vehicle mass reaches 7 tons, with payloads up to 4,050 kilograms in single-cab form and 3,920 kilograms in double-cab variants. A 4.5-litre V8 turbodiesel engine delivers 192 kilowatts through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, homologated for off-road use. Approach and departure angles measure 40 and 38 degrees, respectively, while ground clearance hits 350 millimetres to the chassis. Over 250,000 kilometres of testing across Europe and Africa confirm its durability in extreme conditions. Armormax offers STANAG Level I armour packages that defeat 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm rounds plus shell fragments, using lightweight panels and 40 mm ballistic glass. The firm has armed nearly 2,000 vehicles in 20 years, adapting civilian expertise to military needs. Configurations include single, double, and stretch cabs (adding 50 centimetres), with armoured personnel carrier and cab-protected variants under development.
ST Engineering’s GDAMS mounts directly to the TAC-6 rear, weighing 700 kilograms in a 120 mm setup. A two-person crew deploys it in under 15 seconds via hydraulic assist, which anchors the baseplate to the ground and elevates the vehicle’s rear for stability. Traverse spans ±90 degrees, elevation runs from 45 to 80 degrees, and maximum range extends to 9 kilometres. The fire control system integrates digital inputs for instant targeting, supporting a peak rate of 16 rounds per minute for short bursts. An optional blast diffuser cuts acoustic signature, reducing crew exposure and detection risk. Configurable for 81 mm barrels, GDAMS suits light infantry needs while handling heavier payloads on platforms like the TAC-6. This ground-directed recoil design avoids stressing the vehicle chassis, enabling integration on light trucks without major reinforcements.
According to DefenceWeb, during the Alkantpan trial, the system executed an eight-round mission in 90 seconds, from halt to departure, with two crew members. Coordinates fed from an onboard drone, launched from a roof-mounted pod, which carries a laser rangefinder, high-definition optics, and thermal cameras. The drone ranges targets up to 9 kilometres, relays data to the fire control computer, observes impacts, and auto-lands on the moving TAC-6. This loop enables real-time adjustments, cutting rounds needed for effect and shrinking the ammunition footprint. The double-cab TAC-6 hauls at least 50 PM120 GPS-guided rounds, plus high-explosive, smoke, and illumination types, easing logistics in remote operations.
Precision comes from ST Engineering’s PM120 munition, a GPS-guided round that trims circular error probable (CEP) from 135 meters for unguided 120 mm fire at max range to under 10 meters. CEP denotes the radius where 50% of rounds land around the aim point. This shift turns mortars from area suppression tools to point-strike assets, ideal for urban or collateral-sensitive fights. Traditional unguided fire demands volume to saturate zones, inflating logistics and exposure; PM120 allows fewer shots with battle damage assessment via drone feed. Grant Anderson, Armormax managing director, noted the combo “compresses the kill chain: fewer steps, higher speed, higher accuracy, reduced exposure.”
Post-fire mobility defines the system’s edge. Counter-battery radars track trajectories in seconds, so towed or static mortars invite retaliation. The TAC-6 “shoots and scoots” in under two minutes, using terrain for cover. Recent conflicts, like Ukraine, show such tactics as vital against drone-guided strikes. Two six-barrel Centauri CRx-40 grenade launchers guard against first-person view drones, firing 40×51 mm airburst rounds to 500 meters. Integrated with the TriAD counter-unmanned aerial system, CRx-40 pairs radio frequency, radar, and acoustic sensors with an electro-optical/infrared tracker for automated cues. This hard-kill setup escalates from jamming low-threat scouts to fragmentation bursts on armed UAVs, trading soft denial for decisive neutralisation but risking debris fallout.
The demonstration fits SANDF priorities. The army fields about 36 M5 120 mm and 1,190 M3 81 mm mortars for layered fires, as seen in Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2025 at Lohatla, where M5S-shaped brigade assaults alongside M3 platoon support. Yet budget strains limit upgrades; calls grow for automated mobile mortars to boost precision without heavy investment. ST Engineering chose the TAC-6 for its payload and agility, mirroring integrations like Aselsan Alkar 81 mm mortars or remote weapon stations. Anderson emphasised versatility: “On today’s transparent battlefield, lightning-fast response to opportunity and target intelligence, coupled with decisive and accurate application of force, makes the difference between victory and defeat.”
Trade-offs emerge in deployment. GDAMS demands flat ground for the hydraulic lock, limiting very steep shots, though its 80-degree elevation compensates. Drone reliance adds electronic warfare risks, countered by TriAD’s multi-sensor fusion. Payload swells with guided rounds, but the TAC-6’s seven-ton gross handles it, unlike lighter 4x4s. Armormax eyes exports, building on French Special Forces trials interrupted by COVID-19. As conflicts evolve, this mortar-vehicle-drone triad offers SANDF commanders a compact, self-sufficient effector for rapid, low-signature fires.