Casspir

The Casspir is a landmine-protected infantry mobility vehicle that has been in use in South Africa for over 30 years. It is a four-wheeled armoured vehicle, used for transport of troops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers and associated gear. The Casspir was unique in design when launched, providing for passive mine defence. The main 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 is also armoured for added mine safety, as well as protection from small arms fire. The Casspir was the inspiration and prototype for the U.S. Marines' MRAP project.

Design history


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). 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. In particular, this conflict called for protection from land mines combined with high manoeuvrability to cover long distances - these requirements led to the distinctive V-shaped hull (for mine protection) and a wheeled chassis.

The Casspir was designed by the CSIR specifically to protect vehicle occupants against landmines. It is certified to protect its occupants against a triple TM-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 V-bottomed armoured monocoque hull, designed to deflect the force of an explosion outwards, to which a leaf-spring suspension is attached.

Production history


About 200 Casspir Mk1s were originally built by the CSIR in 1979/80. The production was taken over by TFM in 1981, which improved the design to the Mk 2. Some 2500 Casspir series APCs were built by TFM of South Africa, which was subsequently taken over by Reumech OMC. Reumech in turn was taken over by Vickers Defence Systems of the UK and renamed Vickers OMC. When Alvis purchased Vickers Defence Systems to become Alvis Vickers, Vickers OMC became Alvis OMC. In 2004 BAE Systems acquired Alvis Vickers and Alvis OMC was renamed Land Systems OMC. A new and more powerful Casspir known as Casspir 2000 is being manufactured by Mechem.

Variants

 * Casspir Mk 1 First use in combat: Operation Crowbar/Operasie Koevoet,SWA/Namibia
 * Casspir Mk 2 First user: 101 Battalion, SWATF
 * Casspir Mk 2C (I)
 * Casspir Mk 3 - 170 hp (127 kW) ADE-352T 6-cylinder turbo-diesel
 * Ordnance Factories Board of India's MPV
 * Casspir 2000

The Casspir was built in different configurations:
 * APC - armoured personnel carrier
 * Artillery Fire Control vehicle
 * Ambulance
 * Blesbok Freighter - with drop side cargo area for up to 5 tons (160 built). Can be used as a weapon platform.
 * Duiker Tanker - 5000 litres tank (30 built)
 * FISTV - Fire Support Team vehicle
 * Gemsbok Recovery vehicle - 15-ton capacity (30 built)
 * Mechem Mine clearing vehicle - uses steel wheels to detonate mines
 * MEDDS (Mechem Explosives and Drug Detection System) Mine Sensor vehicle
 * Mechem VAMMIDS (Vehicular Array Mine Detection System) Vehicle
 * Plofadder Mine clearing System - carrier of the containerised Plofadder 160AT rocket-propelled mine clearing system
 * Riot Control vehicle - Police version with larger windows to increase visibility
 * Mechem LP (Low-Profile) and short-wheelbase vehicle

Operators

 * 🇧🇯 Benin - 10 Casspir 2000 on order
 * 🇧🇮 Burundi
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo
 * 🇩🇯 Djibouti - 10
 * 🇮🇳 90 in use by the Indian Army
 * 🇮🇩: Used by Kopassus
 * 🇲🇿: Approximately five in use.
 * 🇳🇦: 20 inherited from the South West African Territorial Force.
 * 90 2nd hand Casspir and 10 Indian MPV
 * 🇵🇪: Policía Nacional del Peru (DIROES)
 * 🇵🇪: Policía Nacional del Peru (DIROES)

Combat history

 * South African Border War
 * Angolan Civil War
 * Namibian War of Independence
 * Second Congo War

Popular culture

 * Casspirs, in an allegorical reflection of township usage during apartheid, are used against aliens by the fictional MNU in the film District 9 (2009); one can also be seen at the beginning of the 1982 scene in the movie Goodbye Bafana.
 * The vehicle is used in the music video to the Gorillaz song "Dirty Harry".
 * Lucky Dube, a South African musician, sits on top of a Casspir in his music video Taxman. The Casspir, which many South Africans view as an icon of Apartheid-era police crackdowns, serves as an emblem of government oppression and unfair taxation in this video.