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IFV / APC

South Africa Legacy

Denel Aviation

Casspir

One of the earliest purpose-built mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, developed in South Africa to counter landmine warfare during the Border War. Its V-shaped hull design became foundational to the modern global MRAP category.

In service since 1980 · 15 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

850

km range

7.6

mm gun

12,500

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to South Africa export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 15 operators

In service since 1980. Status: legacy · ~2,400 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

7.62 NATO

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	90 km/h Stronger than 48% of IFVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	850 km Top 5% of IFVs

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	7.62 mm machine gun (pintle-mounted)
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.	7.6 mm

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Protection specifications
Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.	V-hull mine-protected steel monocoque
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.	No

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	6.9 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	12,500 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	2
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.	12 Top 4% of IFVs

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	ADE 352T turbo-diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.	170 hp Bottom 2% of IFVs
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Diesel (wheeled 4x4)

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	2,400 Stronger than 74% of IFVs
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	15 Top 9% of IFVs

Specifications compiled from public Denel Aviation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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