The Caiman is a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle with a V-hull design based on the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and Low Signature Armored Cab (LSAC), initially developed by

Stewart & Stevenson Stewart & Stevenson is a manufacturer and distributor of products and services for the oil and gas, marine, construction, power generation, transportation, mining and agricultural industries. History In 1902, Stewart & Stevenson originated in H ...

and now produced by BAE Systems Platforms & Services. The Caiman is based on the chassis and automotives of the Medium Tactical Vehicle variant of the FMTV and features: *10-man crew capacity *Tensylon

composite armor Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different materials such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armours are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the s ...

*Armor enhancement capable *Accepts all types of manned and remote weapons stations *85 percent parts commonality with standard FMTV models (40,000 of which are already fielded) *Full-time all wheel drive *Fully automatic transmission *Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) *

Anti-lock braking system An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a Automotive safety, safety anti-Skid (automobile), skid Brake, braking system used on aircraft and on land motor vehicle, vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing t ...

(ABS) *Class V Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM)

History

The Caiman completed testing by the U.S. military at the

Aberdeen Proving Grounds Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...

in July 2007. On July 13, 2007, Armor Holdings received a prime contract award by the U.S. Navy on the behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps for $518.5 million under the MRAP vehicle program. The contract specified delivery of 1,154 Category I MRAP vehicles and 16 Category II MRAP vehicles by the end of February 2008.

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

acquired Armor Holdings in 2007 and continued production of the Caiman. In August 2009, the U.S. Army announced that Oshkosh Defense had been awarded the FMTV A1P2 rebuy production contract. This award did not include the Caiman. In September 2010 BAE Systems was awarded a $629 million contract from the U.S. MRAP Joint Program Office to upgrade 1,700 Caiman MRAP vehicles to Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicle - Caiman MTV standard. The upgraded vehicle integrates a refurbished and improved armored capsule from an existing vehicle with a new high-power automotive power train, chassis and independent suspension made by ArvinMeritor. Greater survivability is achieved through an enhanced monolithic floor, a strengthened chassis frame and better blast absorbing seats. On December 18, 2011, a Caiman was part of the last U.S. military convoy out of Iraq, being the last vehicle to cross the border into Kuwait, signifying the end of U.S. military presence and operations in the eight-year

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. Starting in October 2013, local police and sheriff offices in the U.S. began to acquire Caiman 6x6 MTVs. The U.S. government offered these vehicles to local law enforcement as the need for them greatly decreased after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars ended. The Caiman MTV normally costs $412,000, but is sold for only its transportation costs to the local jurisdiction. In September 2014, the U.S. approved a $2.5 billion deal with the United Arab Emirates Army for over 4,500 surplus U.S. MRAPs for increased force protection, conducting humanitarian assistance operations, and protecting vital international commercial trade routes and critical infrastructure. 1,150 vehicles were Caimans.United States approved major contract of MRAP vehicles for UAE
- Armyrecognition.com, 27 September 2014

Operators

Military operators

* :

Egyptian Armed Forces The Egyptian Armed Forces () are the military forces of the Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces directs (a) Egyptian Army forces, (b) the Egyptian Navy, (c) Egyptian Air Force and (d) Egyptian Air Defense Forces. ...

— 2000 * :

Iraqi Special Operations Forces The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS; ) is an Iraqi security and intelligence agency tasked with counterterrorism. The Service’s operational arm is called the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF; ). They are an elite special operations force co ...

** * :

Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; , ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii''), also known as the Libyan Arab Army (LAA; , ''al-Jaysh al-'Arabiyy al-Lībii'') or the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF; ), is a component of Libyan Armed Forces, Libya's mil ...

* :

Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chie ...

— part of a batch of 24 MRAPs * : United Arab Emirates Army — 1,150 * **

Civilian operators

* **

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

** Summit County Sheriff's Office

Non-state operators

People's Defense Units The People's Defense Units (YPG), also called People's Protection Units, is a libertarian socialist US-backed Kurdish militant group in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The YPG mostly consists of K ...

(YPG)

References