The Buffalo vehicle was designed based on the successful South AfricanCasspirmine-protected vehicle. 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 monohullchassis that directs the force of the blast away from the occupants. Buffalo is also now equipped with BAE Systems' LROD cage armor for additional protection against RPG-7anti-tankrounds. Glass armor is sufficient at 6 inches thickness. Run-flat tires are mounted on all six wheels. The Buffalo combines ballistic and blast protection with infrared technology to detect the presence of dangerous ordnance and a robotic arm 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 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 General Dynamics Land Systems in 2011 for $350 million.
Variants
Buffalo H
Buffalo A2
Operators
- 200 A1 version and approximately 450 A2 version
- 5 plus an additional 10 for delivery in 2009. 19 in service in Afghanistan. Canada ended its mission in Afghanistan in 2011 and is no longer in use in Afghanistan.
The Buffalo appeared as the vehicle mode of the DecepticonBonecrusher in the movie Transformers, and in the sequel, . Production designer Jeff Mann stated, "We found this image of a mine-sweeping vehicle that had a huge arm with what appeared to be a fork on the end. So we called the people who owned it, hoping there was a chance we could rent it or buy it, but when we got the data, it turned out the fork was only wide—they had totally cheated the whole thing in Photoshop.... We had to make an appliance to fit over the existing arm, that wouldn’t bounce around too much because it was about wide." Buffalo vehicles and JERRVs are used by the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in the television show "Bomb Patrol Afghanistan".
