Olifant, noun

Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, ‘elephant’, probably from appearance, size, and strength of the tank.
Military
An armoured main battle tank, re-designed and re-built in South Africa from the old Centurion tank of British manufacture. Also attributive. See also buffel sense 2.
1983 W. Steenkamp in Leadership Vol.2 No.4, 60The Olifant tanks are thoroughly revamped ex-British Centurions which have been up-gunned, re-engined and generally worked over.
1986 Sunday Times 16 Mar. 14The Olifant main battle tank (MBT). Over 200 MBTs, originally British Centurions, have been redesigned and modernised, having been equipped with new engines, gearboxes and armaments, all locally produced.
1988 Cape Times 27 Jan. 5Thanks to the arms boycott and local manufacture, about the only British-origin weaponry the SADF still has in service are a few hundred 1950s-vintage Centurion medium tanks, now rebuilt and renamed ‘Olifant’.
1988 New Nation 30 June 17The British-made Centurion tanks, modified by the South Africans and renamed ‘Olifant’, are the best..in the South African tank weaponry.
1990 Armed Forces Nov. 30A simulated battle exercise was conducted, using an Olifant MBT equipped with a flail to detonate what appeared to be at least a 6kg mine.
An armoured main battle tank, re-designed and re-built in South Africa from the old Centurion tank of British manufacture. Also attributive.
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