The Buffalo is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle built by Force Protection, Inc., a division of

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales and fifth largest in the Unit ...

. It is the largest vehicle in Force Protection's line-up, followed by the

Cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

HE MRAP and the

Ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted Felidae, wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, Central and South America, ...

light protected patrol vehicle (LPPV).

History

The Buffalo vehicle was designed based on the successful Casspir vehicle, protected against

land mine A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...

s, of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n make. The Casspir is a four-wheeled vehicle, while the Buffalo has six wheels. Buffalo is also fitted with a large articulated arm, used for ordnance disposal. Both vehicles incorporate a V-shaped monohull

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

that directs the force of the blast away from the occupants. Buffalo is also now equipped with

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 ...

' LROD

cage armor Slat armor (or slat armour in British English), also known as bar armor, cage armor, and standoff armor, is a type of vehicle armor designed to protect against high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) attacks, as used by anti-tank guided missiles (ATG ...

for additional protection against

RPG-7 The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has t ...

anti-tank Anti-tank warfare refers to the military strategies, tactics, and weapon systems designed to counter and destroy enemy armored vehicles, particularly tanks. It originated during World War I following the first deployment of tanks in 1916, and ...

rounds. Glass armor is sufficient at 6 inches thickness.

Run-flat tire A run-flat tire is a pneumatic vehicle tire designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, allowing the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds for limited distances. First developed by tire manufacturer Michelin in the 1930 ...

s are mounted on all six wheels. The Buffalo combines ballistic and blast protection with

infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

technology to detect the presence of dangerous ordnance and a

robotic arm A robotic arm is a type of mechanical arm, usually programmable, with similar functions to a human arm; the arm may be the sum total of the mechanism or may be part of a more complex robot. The links of such a manipulator are connected by join ...

to disable the explosive ordnance. Personnel operate the Buffalo’s 30-foot robotic arm and claw from within the armored hull via a mounted camera and sensory equipment, to safely dispose of mines and IEDs. In 2004, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

had a limited number of Buffaloes in service, with an order for 15 more, at a cost of $10 million. On June 6, 2008 Force Protection, Inc delivered its 200th Buffalo to the U.S. Military. In 2009 Force Protection started producing the A2 version, with major changes in the Axle Tech rear axles, Cat C13 engine, Cat CX31 transmission, and suspension, along with additional upgrades to the HVAC system, hood and front bumper. The easiest way to identify an A1 version from the A2 version is that the front bumper of the A2 has a larger profile. The last Buffalo A2 MRAP truck 795 was completed in June 2014. Force Protection was acquired by

Land Systems (GDLS) in 2011 for $350 million.

Variants

* Buffalo H * Buffalo A2

Operators

Current

* – 200 A1 version and approximately 450 A2 version * – 5 * – 5 vehicles * * – 20 Cougar JERRV (Buffalo

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are disabled or otherwise rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated fu ...

version) received from US under Coalition Support Fund in 2010.

Future

* − On August 16, 2024 the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense approved the delivery of Buffalo MPVs to the

Armed Forces of Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

Former

* – 18 vehicles used in Afghanistan, no longer in service.

Gallery

Image:Buffalo mine-protected vehicle and GI.jpg, Buffalo mine-protected vehicle and GI File:Counter IED training 130220-A-ZR192-423.jpg, Buffalo showing remote manipulator arm Image:Buffalo IED.jpg, A Buffalo that survived with its cabin intact after an IED attack took its two front wheels and axle off Image:Looking for IED near Shindand.jpg, Buffalo in Italian service File:Buffalo Vehicle Part of Talisman Suite in Convoy in Afghanistan MOD 45153768.jpg, Buffalo in British service with additional slat armour

References

External links

Buffalo series
ForceProtection.net
Buffalo MPCV EOD Technical Data Sheet and Pictures
Army Recognition {{DEFAULTSORT:Buffalo (Mine Protected Vehicle) Armored personnel carriers of the United States Military engineering vehicles of the United States Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s