| Buffel | |
|---|---|
Decommissioned BuffelinPort Elizabeth.
| |
| Type | MPAV |
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Council for Scientific and Industrial Research |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.14 t |
| Length | 5.1 m (16.73 ft) |
| Width | 2.05 m (6.73 ft) |
| Height | 2.95 m (9.68 ft) |
| Crew | 1+10 |
Main | Optional M1919A4 / FN MAG 7.62 mm MG |
| Suspension | 4×4 wheeled |
Operational | 1000 km (620 mi) |
| Maximum speed | Road 96 km/h (60 mph) Off-road 30 km/h (19 mph) |
The Buffel (English: Buffalo) is an infantry mobility vehicle used by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It replaced the older Bedford RL-based Hippo APC and itself was replaced by the Mamba from 1995 in South Africa,[1] but remains in use elsewhere, notably Sri Lanka.
The Buffel was the first truly effective landmine-protected armored personnel carrier to enter service anywhere.[2] The South African Army began deploying it in the operational area from 1978. The Buffel was an improvement over the Bosvark which offered little protection to the driver. In 1974, 54 Mercedes-Benz Unimog 416–162 chassis had been hastily converted into Bosvarks by 61 Base Workshops in Pretoria. The Bosvark offered limited landmine protection to the crew, but compensated for this with good off-road mobility.[1][3] It is estimated that around 2,400 Buffels were delivered before production stopped. Sri Lanka purchased Buffels in the 1980s, and in the early 1990s the vehicle was exported to Uganda.[1]
The Buffel (Afrikaans for Buffalo) was not a wholly South African built vehicle, but made use of the chassis, engine and some other components of the Mercedes-Benz U416-162 Unimog,[1] which were fitted with a domestically designed armoured driver's cab and separate armoured troop compartment. The cab was situated on the left with the engine compartment on the right. Later models replaced the original Mercedes-Benz OM352 engine[1] with copies built under license by Atlantis Diesel Engines factory near Cape Town.
Land mine protection was provided by the V-shaped hull underneath these compartments, which quite effectively deflected the blast. The troop compartment contained two plastic tanks in the vee beneath the floor: a 200-litre fuel tank and a 100-litre water tank. The water tank provided drinking water to the occupants by means of a tap at the rear of the vehicle.
In order to help dissipate the energy from hitting a mine, the large tyres were sometimes filled with water, adding about 500 kg per wheel to the vehicle weight.[4]
SAA variants
SAAF variants
Sri Lankan variants
Malawi: 1; Rhino variant.[5]
Sri Lanka: 47;[5] other variants produced as the Unicorn and Unibuffel.[6]
Uganda: 55; 20[7][8] in service with the army and 35[9] in service with the national police.
United Nations Mission in South Sudan: 3[10]
Zambia: 1; Rhino variant.[5] United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali; nine Unibuffels were deployed to Mail under urgent operational requirements for peacekeeping operations in Mali.[11]
South Africa: Formerly around 2,400 in service; all retired and replaced by the Mamba.[6] United Nations Transition Assistance Group: 1[5]
Zimbabwe: Possibly inherited from Rhodesia.[12]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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| Armoured cars |
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| Infantry Fighting Vehicles |
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| Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) |
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| Artillery, transport and combat engineering |
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| Related articles |
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Vehicles of the South African Defence Force
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| Communication Vehicles |
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| Cargo Vehicles |
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| Armoured personnel carriers |
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| Infantry Fighting Vehicles |
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| Main Battle Tanks |
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| Armoured Cars / Reconnaissance Vehicles |
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