BAe Caiman

Multi-Terrain / Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected ()MRAP Vehicle

United States | 2004

"The Caiman MRAP was born from the U.S.-led War on Terror beginning after the events of September 11th, 2001."

Image from BAe Systems Land and Armament marketing material.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the BAe Caiman Multi-Terrain / Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected ()MRAP Vehicle.

1 x Caterpillar C-9 6-cylinder diesel-fueled engine developing 450 horsepower at 2,100 rpm driving conventional six-wheeled arrangement.
Installed Power

68 mph
110 kph
Road Speed

401 miles
645 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the BAe Caiman Multi-Terrain / Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected ()MRAP Vehicle.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

24.6 ft
7.5 meters
O/A Length

8.5 ft
2.6 meters
O/A Width

9.8 ft
3 meters
O/A Height

60,848 lb
27,600 kg | 30.4 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the BAe Caiman Multi-Terrain / Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected ()MRAP Vehicle.

Variable: 1 x 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) OR 1 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) OR 1 x 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL); Also any personal weapons carried by the crew.

AMMUNITION:
Dependent on armament fitting (for armed variants).

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the BAe Caiman family line.

Caiman - Base Series Designation

Caiman MRAP - Standard Mine-Resistant Vehicle

CAIMAN MTV - Improved Caiman MRAP

Caiman MTV (MED) - Armored Ambulance; rear loading ramp.

Caiman Cargo Truck (C2T) - Cargo Hauler variant with flatbed rear.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/08/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Mine resistant vehicles were already a staple of military forces like that of South Africa well before the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq focused renewed attention to them. These invasions painfully showcased a limitation in durable armored vehicles capable of withstanding explosive blasts and Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) fire from ordnance and foes lying in ambush. Beyond armored, tracked vehicles such as the M2 Bradley IFV, the U.S. Army was forced to rely on lightly protected HUMVEE trucks and standard military haulers which resulted in a poor showing during the early going.

Thus began the era of the Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle, a new classification by the American military covering a design capable of withstanding blasts from hidden mines, explosive devices, RPG fire, and other battlefield dangers. One product of the period became the BAe Caiman MRAP which formed a portion of a new family of American military vehicles under the FMTV name ("Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles"). Its upgraded form has become the Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicle (MTV) or (CMTV). The FMTV group as a whole already numbers some 56,000 vehicles (2015).

Initial development of the product was headed by Stewart & Stevenson, a manufacturing concern founded back in 1902 and eventually absorbed under the Armor Holdings (founded 1996) brand label. Its parent company then became BAe Systems and Armaments which acquired Armor Holdings in 2007. The Caiman evolved from the original Stewart & Stevenson design to the new BAe model seen on the modern battlefield.

The Caiman MTV is a further development of the original Caiman MRAP, featuring improved survivability, a 10-person seating arrangement, automatic transmission system, and a Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS). The vehicle utilizes a conventional automobile arrangement which houses the engine at front, the passenger cabin over the rear, and the driver's position over middle-front. Ground clearance is excellent and provides strong cross-country capabilities as well as good, elevated views over the hood. Windowed panels are kept to a minimum and those panels that do feature viewports use thick bullet-resistant glass. On the whole, the vehicle is protected against small arms fire, shell splinters, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and land mines (up to Category II). Its v-shaped hull helps to deflect some of the incoming blast and blast-resistant seats provide additional crew survivability. Run flat tires allow the crew to exit contested areas under fire.

The Caiman MTV marks a new standard for the Caiman vehicle line. Beyond its new armor protection scheme there is improve engine performance/reliability, increased comfort through an upgraded HVAC arrangement, new blast-absorbing seats, and a strengthening the existing underlying chassis. The upgrade program targets some 1,700 trucks for the work.

Current marketed variants of the Caiman line include the original Caiman MRAP, the updated Caiman MTV, the Caiman MTV battlefield ambulance with rear ramp and add-on armor blocks, and the Caiman Cargo Truck (C2T) with rear flatbed section. Versions can install a roof-mounted turret for mounting small arms as well as add-on armor blocks.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the BAe Caiman. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 56,500 Units
Contractor(s): BAe Systems Land and Armament - USA

National flag of the United Arab Emirates

[ Egypt; Iraq; United Arab Emirates; United States ]

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Going Further...
The BAe Caiman Multi-Terrain / Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected ()MRAP Vehicle appears in the following collections:

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