Buffalo MRAP armored vehicle, the US military's weapon against landmines, the disadvantage is that it loves to roll

In modern warfare, large-scale offensive and defensive warfare is rare. Instead, small-scale special operations forces dominate street battles, and most of them occur when the forces of both sides are extremely asymmetrical. Although it seems that it is not as intense as during World War II, the casualties caused by it still cannot be ignored. The weapons and equipment of the U.S. military in the Middle East war will inevitably crush the opponent, but the guns are easy to hide and the arrows are difficult to defend. The improvised explosive device still caused a lot of casualties to the US military. This was especially obvious at the beginning of the war. The corresponding measures adopted were the application of MRAP armored vehicles. The most famous of these was the "Buffalo Mine Anti-Ambush Vehicle."

The difference between ordinary armored vehicles and MRAP armored vehicles

For a long time, the Hummer armored vehicle has been one of the important equipment of the US Army, and its extended models will not be mentioned here. With its relatively good armor, it can completely resist the shooting of light weapons, and under certain conditions, it can also defend against the bombardment of a small number of heavy weapons. But after all, it is a small part. When facing landmines or rockets, Humvee armored vehicles basically do not have much resistance. But just like this, the US military's demand for it has not only not decreased, but the war has gone deeper and deeper. At the same time, in order to further ensure the safety of life, MRAP series armored vehicles have been applied to the battlefield.

The so-called "MRAP" is the abbreviation of Mine Resistant Utility Vehicle, which is not much different from traditional wheeled armored vehicles. The difference is that it is more protective. Like the Hummer armored vehicle, it is more suitable for use in cities. In addition to the thickened armor, the lower half of the car body also uses a "V" shape design. This approach can greatly reduce the damage to the members of the armored vehicle when it encounters a landmine. In addition, MRAP armored vehicles are also commonly equipped with infrared detection devices to detect explosives hidden in corners in advance.

After learning the lessons on the thin-skinned Hummer armored vehicle, this explosion-proof armored vehicle quickly received the attention of the army and became one of the common weapons and equipment on the Middle East battlefield. At first, the size of the MRAP armored vehicle was not much different from that of the Hummer armored vehicle, but as the functions continued to increase, its size also grew, and the "Buffalo Lightning Anti-Ambush Vehicle" was born. Presumably, after seeing the attached multi-functional robotic arm, many people will have a sense of deja vu, because a grumpy Cybertronian once used it as his disguise. The development and attributes of the

Buffalo Lightning Anti-Ambush Vehicle The

Buffalo Armored Vehicle is the largest model of the MRAP armored vehicle. Caspier was used in the South African Border War. It weighs 11 tons and uses a 4×4 suspension structure. For popular science, this 4×4 means 4 wheels and 4 drives, which is the so-called "four-wheel drive". In addition to installing a heavy machine gun on the roof, it can also be equipped with a 20mm caliber machine gun. In addition, a total of twelve firing ports are designed on both sides of the car body to enhance its own firepower. Later, Casspier was discovered by the U.S. Army by virtue of its excellent attributes, and developed a buffalo mine anti-ambush vehicle based on this prototype. The biggest difference between

and the former is that the buffalo armored vehicle uses a 6×6 suspension structure, and a working platform is added to the rear of the vehicle. The mechanical arm attached to the front end of the vehicle is controlled internally by the owner members, and sensor equipment is also installed on it. Its function is to enable the armored vehicle to deal with explosives at a long distance. The front-end equipment is generally a shovel, but it can also be replaced with other devices as required. If necessary, the robotic arm can even be sacrificed directly to eliminate explosives. Because of the addition of armor and some functional equipment, the bull armored vehicle weighs more than 20 tons, but its weight is often equated with its own strength, and it can also travel at a maximum speed of 105 kilometers per hour.

In 2003, the design of the buffalo mine anti-ambush vehicle was completed, and the US military began to be equipped in the following year, but the amount of equipment at that time was extremely scarce, and it remained on the second line. Later, as more and more improvised bombs were hidden, the frontline troops suffered heavy losses, and people only noticed the buffalo armored vehicles falling ashes in the corner. But to patrol a large number of streets, the few dozen vehicles are far fromEnough, so the order was increased again. In 2008, Force Protection delivered 200 Buffalo armored vehicles to the US military. In addition, other countries participating in the Middle East war have more or less equipped some buffalo armored vehicles.

As for its actual combat capability, it has long been reflected in the war. The mine-sweeping capability of the Buffalo armored vehicle is naturally no problem, and its defensive capability has reached its original design. During a routine patrol, the left front wheel of a buffalo armored vehicle touched an anti-tank mine, and the wheel was naturally scrapped, but the crew including the driver was safe. And this vehicle successfully returned to the station with its remaining 5 wheels. But the Buffalo armored vehicle also has a disadvantage, that is, the center of gravity shifted by the "V"-shaped hull. So far, about 40 Buffalo armored vehicles have overturned because they were too fast when turning. This situation is particularly common in the MRAP series. The other two mine-proof and anti-ambush vehicles of the

MRAP series are the

buffalo armored vehicle, which is the largest of the MRAPs. Before it, there are cheetahs and cougars. The cheetah is the smallest and the cougar is in the middle. It can be seen that the US military's naming of this series of armors is based on size. The Cheetah armor uses a traditional 4×4 suspension, and the overall effect is basically not much different from that of the Hummer armored vehicle. Although the car body uses the "V"-shaped structure, the mine-proof ability is obviously inferior to that of the Buffalo armored vehicle. Because it does not have much meaning to equip it, only 13 prototypes of the Cheetah armored vehicle have been built, and it has not been approved by the United States. Adopted by the Army.

In comparison, the situation of the Cougar armored vehicle is much better. Since 2002, it has been produced more than two thousand vehicles. It is the most common MRAP armored vehicle in the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. Like the Buffalo, it is a large 6x6 suspended armored vehicle that can carry about 10 people. Although there is no robotic arm for expelling explosives, it can be used for battlefield rescue missions with its spacious body. In addition, the Cougar armored vehicle also has a 4×4 suspension version, and a certain number is reserved, so the four-wheeled MRAP armored vehicle that appeared in the Middle East war was not a Cheetah type.

Conclusion

So far, the number of MRAP armors has increased substantially compared to before, which directly proves the reliability of this anti-ambush vehicle. But after all, it is a targeted product. It can be described as "a carrot has a pit, and it is useless after this pit", and it also reflects the cruelty of war from the side.

References "Hungarian Cougar 4x4", "Djibouti parades new armour", "Light Joint Tactical Vehicle"