Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle (MRAPV), also known as MRAP vehicle, is a type of armoured personnel carrier that is designed specifically to withstand the impact of land mines, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, and ambushes. Most modern infantry mobility vehicles also have a certain level of MRAP capabilities.
History
Specialized light armored vehicles designed specifically to resist land mines were first introduced in the 1970s by the Rhodesian Army, and were further developed by South African manufacturers starting in 1974 with the Hippo armored personnel carrier (APC).Heitman, Helmoed-Römer. South African Armed Forces. Buffalo Publications 1990. p 44. The first step by the South African Defence Force (SADF) was the Bosvark also known as a kwêvoël 100, a Unimog fitted with a shallow mine-deflecting tub on the chassis to protect the crew. Then came the first generation of purpose-built vehicles, including the Hippo and various other light vehicles. They were essentially armoured V-shaped hulls mounted on truck chassis.
The next generation was represented by the Buffel, a Unimog chassis with a mine-protected cab and a mine-protected crew compartment mounted on it. These early vehicles overloaded their chassis and they were clumsy off-road. The Casspir Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle was developed for the SADF in May of 1979 and the first order was placed in 1980; It was commonly used for anti-insurgency operations by SWATF and Koevoet that would take place on the border of South West Africa (Namibia), Military operations in Angola during the Angolan Civil War and was used by SAP for protest dispersion / large scale deployment. The Casspir was the inspiration for America's and the other military MRAPV programs and is the basis for most of the program's high grade vehicles.
Design These vehicles have good off-road mobility, and armor protection against small-arms fire, IEDs, and antipersonnel mines. These armored vehicles generally have a distinctive V-shaped hull (for mine protection) and a wheeled chassis.
List of MRAP vehicles +Dedicated MRAPVNameCountry of originEntered serviceImageHippoSouth Africa1974BuffelSouth Africa1978MPCV "Spook"Rhodesia1979CasspirSouth Africa1979-1981MambaSouth Africa1990ATF DingoGermany2000UnibuffelSri Lanka2000CougarUnited States2002RG-31 NyalaSouth Africa2006BAE CaimanUnited States2007Gaz TigrRussia2007International MaxxProUnited States2007RG-33South Africa2007MarauderSouth Africa2008BMC VuranTurkey2009Nexter AravisFrance2009Oshkosh M-ATVUnited States2009First WinThailand2010Force Protection OcelotUnited Kingdom2011CS/VP3 MRAPChina2012BMC KirpiTurkey2014Kamaz TyphoonRussia2014Protolab MisuFinland2017Cavalier HamzaPakistan2017Roshel SenatorCanada2018Sisu GTPFinland2018ToofanIran2018Ezugwu MRAPNigeria2019JLTVUnited States2019UnicobSri Lanka2021Kalyani M4India2022Zastava M20 MRAPSerbia2023
Infantry mobility vehicle with MRAP capabilities
– several thousand ordered by Italian and other European militaries
– selected to meet US military's requirement on 25 August 2015
(4×4)
References