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Buffel

Article Discussion

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox weapon

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,<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman">Template:Cite book</ref> but remains in use elsewhere, notably Sri Lanka.

Production historyEdit

The Buffel was the first truly effective landmine-protected armored personnel carrier to enter service anywhere.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/><ref>Template:Citation</ref> 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.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>

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,<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/> 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<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

VariantsEdit

SAA variants

File:Buffel Mk IIA.jpg
Buffel Mk IIA at the Gerotek Test site.
  • Buffel - original
  • Buffel Mk 1 - Improved engine and bush guard (bumper)
  • Buffel Mk 1B - Disc brakes replaced drum brakes<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>
  • Log Buffel - Logistic/Cargo version, a standard Buffel with the seat assembly removed from the troop compartment
  • Buffel Mk IIA - Essentially a rebuild of earlier Mk 1s with an enclosed troop compartment, a rear exit door and large bulletproof windows on the sides and rear. Referred to as Moffel.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>
  • Buffel Mk IIB - Cargo carrier. The SA Army ordered 57 of these in the early 1980s. Payload capacity stated as 2.637 tons.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>

SAAF variants

File:Twinbuffels.JPG
Rhino (left) and Bulldog (right) of the South African military, Swartkop Air Force Base.
  • Bulldog - based on SAMIL 20 truck with the driver's cab on the right. The Bulldog was utilized by the SAAF for patrolling airfields. A variant called the Ystervark was produced and used in the anti-aircraft role.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>
  • Rhino - A further development of the Bulldog but with the driver seated inside a fully enclosed troop compartment. 20 were produced for the SAAF.<ref name="Surviving The Ride Steve Camp and Helmoed-Romer Heitman"/>

Sri Lankan variants

File:Sri Lanka Military 0204.jpg
Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force Unicorn
File:Sri Lanka Military 0200.jpg
Unibuffel Mk II of the Sri Lankan Army

OperatorsEdit

File:Buffel operators.png
Map with Buffel operators in blue with former operators in red

Current operatorsEdit

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Former operatorsEdit

Combat historyEdit

See alsoEdit

Vehicles of comparable role, performance, and eraEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

BibliographyEdit

External linksEdit

Template:South African AFV Template:SADF Vehicles Template:MRAP vehicles Template:Modern IFV and APC

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