Mrap
The Caiman completed testing by the US Military at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in July 2007. On 13 July 2007, Armor Holdings received a prime contract award by the US Navy on the behalf of the US Marine Corps for $518.5 million under the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program. The contract specifies delivery of 1,154 Category I MRAP vehicles and 16 Category II MRAP vehicles by the end of February 2008.[1]
It is likely that the Cat I will be based on the LMTV, while the Cat II will be based on the MTV.
The Cat I Caiman weighs 14 tons and the
Cat II version weighs 24 tons which, according to the Vice President of Armor Holdings, is lighter in weight than its competitors.[2] The work will be performed at BAE Systems M&PS facilities located in Fairfield, Ohio and Sealy, Texas.
A reinforced Caiman design submitted by BAE was one of the two eventual winners of the MRAP II competition at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Caiman features:
10-man crew capacity
Tensylon composite armor[3]
Armor enhancement capable
Accepts all types of manned and remote weapons stations
85 percent parts commonality with standard FMTV models (40,000 of which are already fielded)
Full-time all wheel drive
Fully automatic transmission
Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Class V Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM)
In September 2010 BAE Systems has been awarded a $629 million contract from the U.S. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Joint Program Office (JPO) to upgrade 1,700 Caiman MRAP vehicles to Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicle - Caiman MTV standard. The upgraded vehicle integrates a refurbished and improved armored capsule from an existing vehicle with a new high-power automotive power train, chassis and independent suspension made by ArvinMeritor.[4] Greater survivability is achieved through an enhanced monolithic floor, a strengthened chassis frame and better blast absorbing seats.[5]
On December 18, 2011, a Caiman was part of the last US military convoy out of Iraq, being the last vehicle to cross the border into Kuwait, signifying the end of US military presence and operations in the eight-year Iraq War.
Starting in October 2013, local police and sheriff offices throughout the country began assuming control of many Caiman 6x6 MTVs. The US Federal Government offered these vehicles to local jurisdictions as the need for them greatly decreased after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars ended. The Caiman MTV normally costs $412,000 but is sold for only its transportation costs to the local jurisdiction.[6][7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Caiman
