| Casspir | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A Casspir Mk II on display in 2010 | |
| Type | Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 10.88t |
| Length | 6.9 m (22.64 ft) |
| Width | 2.45 m (8.04 ft) |
| Height | 2.85 m (9.35 ft) |
| Crew | 2+12 |
Main armament | Various: 3 × 7.62 mm MG or 20 mm cannon |
Secondary armament | 12 firing ports |
| Engine | Atlantis Diesel EnginesOM352A turbo-charged diesel 124 kW |
| Suspension | 4×4-wheeled |
Operational range | 770 km |
| Maximum speed | 98 km/h on road 70 km/h off-road |
TheCasspir is aMine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that has been in use inSouth Africa since the 1980s. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport oftroops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers and associated equipment. The Casspir was unique in design when launched, providing for passive mine defence. The main armoured steel body of the vehicle is raised high above the ground, so when a mine is detonated, the explosion is less likely to damage the crew compartment and kill the occupants. The cross-section of the hull isV-shaped, directing the force of the explosion outwards, further protecting the occupants.
The vehicle also offers crew protection from small arms fire. The capabilities of the Casspir were the basis of the outline capabilities required by theU.S. Marines for theirMRAP program.[1]
The name 'Casspir' is ananagram of the abbreviations of the customer, theSouth African Police, and the design authority, theCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR – Applied Chemistry Unit that later became MECHEM).[2] Although the Casspir was deployed intownships during the apartheid era, it was initially designed specifically for conditions encountered in theSouth African Border War.
It was at first extensively used by the infamous "Koevoet" police counterinsurgency unit in northern Namibia during the apartheid era and later also by theSouth-West Africa Territorial Force's101 Battalion and the SA Army's 5 Reconnaissance Regiment. The chief criteria for the design was good off-road mobility, armour protection against small arms fire and anti-personnel mines, and ease and speed of repair by a light workshop crew in the field after detonating an anti-tank mine.[3] These requirements led to the distinctiveV-shaped hull (for mine protection) and a wheeledchassis.
The Casspir was designed by the Defence Research Unit (DRU)[3] of CSIR specifically to protect vehicle occupants againstlandmines. It is certified to protect its occupants against a tripleTM-57 mine blast (equivalent to 21 kg of TNT) under a wheel, or a double blast (14 kg of TNT) under the hull. The Casspir has a V-bottomed armouredmonocoque hull, designed to deflect the force of an explosion outwards, to which aleaf-spring suspension is attached.[2]
After two years of field testing, the South African Police were eventually satisfied they had a good vehicle and in March 1980 placed an order for an initial 140 Casspirs. Some 190 Mk1 Casspirs were manufactured by Henred Fruehauf. In 1981 production was taken over by TFM, which improved the design to the Mk 2. TFM was subsequently taken over by Reumech OMC. Reumech in turn was taken over byVickers Defence Systems of the UK and renamed Vickers OMC. When Alvis purchased Vickers Defence Systems to becomeAlvis Vickers, Vickers OMC became Alvis OMC. In 2004BAE Systems acquired Alvis Vickers and Alvis OMC was renamedLand Systems OMC. Land Systems OMC was 75 per cent acquired byDenel in 2015.[4] An estimated 2800 Casspirs of all types have been built.[3] In 2018 the ADE 352 engines, gearboxes, shock absorbers, differentials and other parts are still being supplied by ADE (Atlantis Diesel Engineering) in South Africa as well as the later model Casspir NG2000.[citation needed]
TheSouth African Police Service sold some of their surplus Casspirs to the public at a 2008 auction.[5] A new Casspir known asCasspir NG 2000 is being manufactured byDenel Mechem.[6][7] The vehicle was launched in April 2013.[3]
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The Casspir was built in different configurations:
Angola: 61[9]
Benin: 10[10]
Burundi: 10[9]
Democratic Republic of the Congo[11]
Djibouti: 3[12]
Egypt[13]
Ghana: 4[14]
India: 200+ used byIndian Army and other paramilitary forces[15]
Indonesia: 2 Casspir.[16] Used byKopassus[17][15]
Iraq[9]
Malawi: 12[9]
Mali: 29[18]
Mozambique: 15[9]
Namibia: 20 inherited from theSouth West African Territorial Force.[17]
Nepal: 37[9][15]
Peru: 20 Policía Nacional del Peru (DIROES)[17][15]
Saudi Arabia: 9[14]
Senegal: 9[9]
Sierra Leone: 3[19]
Somalia: 9[20]
South Africa: 370 inSouth African Army service.[17][21]
Tanzania: 5[14]
Uganda: 42[14]
United States: 68[9][15].jpg)
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The Casspir has entered South African popular culture as an icon of apartheid-era state repression and is controversial for its continued deployment in South Africa for policing tasks.[22] Abeadwork Casspir, withNdebele designs, outside theIziko South African National Gallery was installed as a representation of this iconography of the vehicle.[23] Created by interdisciplinary contemporary artistRalph Ziman, the artwork is titledSPOEK 1.
A Casspir also forms part of the South Africa Apartheid Museum's exhibit on repression in the townships in the 1980s.[24]
Casspirs were extensively used by the human characters to enter into the alien settlement zone in the 2009 movieDistrict 9.
A Casspir is seen in the music video for the song "Dirty Harry" byGorillaz.[25]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| Armoured cars | |
|---|---|
| Infantry Fighting Vehicles | |
| Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) | |
| Artillery, transport and combat engineering | |
| Related articles | |
