Buffalo (mine protected vehicle)

The Buffalo is a wheeled mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored military vehicle built by Force Protection, Inc., division of General Dynamics. It is the largest vehicle in Force Protection's line-up, followed by the Cougar MRAP and the Ocelot light protected patrol vehicle (LPPV).

Buffalo
The Buffalo at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California.
TypeMRAP
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used bySee Operators
WarsIraq War, Afghanistan War
Production history
ManufacturerForce Protection, Inc.
Produced2003
Specifications
Mass45,320 lb (20,560 kg) (curb weight)[1]
56,000 lb (25,000 kg) (max weight)[1]
Length27 ft (8.2 m)
Width8.5 ft (2.6 m)
Height13 ft (4.0 m)
Crew2+4
ArmorAll wheels and centerline mine protected
EngineMack ASET AI-400 I6
330 KW (450 HP)
Payload capacity38,680 lb
TransmissionAllison HD-4560P automatic
Suspension6×6 wheeled
Ground clearance15 in (410 mm)
Fuel capacity85 gal
Operational
range
300 mi (483 km)
Maximum speed 65 mph (105 km/h)

History

The Buffalo vehicle was designed based on the successful South African Casspir mine-protected vehicle.[2] 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 that directs the force of the blast away from the occupants.[3]

Buffalo is also now equipped with BAE Systems' LROD cage armor for additional protection against RPG-7 anti-tank rounds.[4] 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.[5] On June 6, 2008 Force Protection, Inc delivered its 200th Buffalo to the U.S. Military.[6]

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 (GDLS) in 2011 for $350 million.

Variants
  • Buffalo H
  • Buffalo A2[7]

Operators
Map with Buffalo operators in blue

Notable appearances in media

The Buffalo appeared as the vehicle mode of the Decepticon Bonecrusher in the movie Transformers (2007), and in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. 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 14 inches (360 mm) 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 10 feet (3.0 m) wide."[17]

Buffalo vehicles and JERRVs are used by the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team in the television show "Bomb Patrol Afghanistan".

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See also
  • Buffalo mine-protected vehicle and GI
  • Buffalo showing remote manipulator arm
  • A Buffalo that survived with its cabin intact after an IED attack took its two front wheels and axle off
  • Buffalo in Italian service

References
  1. Buffalo fact sheet Archived March 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Force Protection. (requires login)
  2. Buffalo Armoured Vehicle Archived 2008-12-20 at the Wayback Machine. armedforces-int.com
  3. "Combat engineers comb streets of Iraq for IEDs" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. August 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20.
  4. BAE’s LROD Cage Armor. Defense Industry Daily
  5. "Buffalo helps protect from bullets, blasts". Department of Defense. 2004-09-10. Archived from the original on 2006-02-06.
  6. "200th Buffalo MRAP delivered to military". Upi.com. 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  7. http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail/18127/Buffalo_A2_Undergoes_Testing_at_White_Sands.htm%5B%5D
  8. "Buffalo vehicle coverage on". Defenseindustrydaily.com. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  9. "Force Protection, Inc. IN THE NEWS: Canadian Forces to Receive Additional Force Protection Vehicles". Forceprotection.net. Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  10. "Force Protection – Orders for an Additional 48 EROC Vehicles: Blast-Resistant Buffalo and Cougars – Industry News Release". Canadian American Strategic Review. November 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  11. (in French) ["Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-06-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) La Task Force 700 se prépare au théâtre afghan, 06/28/2008, TTU
  12. French Military Orders Buffalo Vehicles from Force Protection, 07/23/2008
  13. https://armadainternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ARM_COM_1302_03_MineProtectedTransport.pdf
  14. "Major U.S. Arms Sales and Grants to Pakistan Since 2001" (PDF).
  15. SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
  16. "Force Protection Receives Multiple Buffalo Vehicle Orders". Business Wire. 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  17. "The Making Of The Transformers Movie - Production Design: The Robots, The Vehicles, The Sets". ENI. 2007-06-15. Archived from the original on 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
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