Casspir

Casspir
A Casspir de-mining at the Bagram Air Base
Type	Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle
Place of origin	South Africa
Specifications
Weight	10.88 t
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 x 7.62 mm MG or 20 mm cannon
Secondary armament	12 firing ports
Engine	Atlantis Diesel Engines OM352A turbo-charged diesel 124 kW
Suspension	4×4-wheeled
Operational range	770 km

The Casspir is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that has been in use in South Africa for over 30 years. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport of troops. 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 is V-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 the U.S. Marines' for their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected or MRAP vehicle project.

The name 'Casspir' is an anagram of the abbreviations of the customer, the South African Police (SAP), and the design authority, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR - Applied Chemistry Unit that later became MECHEM). Although the Casspir was deployed in townships during the apartheid era, it was initially designed specifically for conditions encountered in the South 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 the South-West Africa Territorial Force's 101 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. These requirements led to the distinctive V-shaped hull (for mine protection) and a wheeled chassis.