The cost of maintaining the South African Army’s fleet of Casspir mine protected armoured personnel carriers stands at over R173.9 million for the period since February 2007.
The latest R6.1 million contract awarded BAE Systems last week for the depot-level repair of Casspir components takes the bill for the motorised infantry prime mover to R173 972 112.04. An estimated 2500 CASSPIR were built and about 170 remain in South African Army service. Some 167 CASSPIRs were upgraded in 2006 as part of Project Gijima. The first prototype rolled out of the TFM plant in April 1979.
Originally developed by the then-Defence Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on a budget of R80 000 to a South African Police requirement for an armoured, mine-protected counterinsurgency vehicle – hence the name “CASSPIR”, an anagram for SAP and CSIR – the vehicle was also adopted in that role by the SA Army. During the Namibian-Angolan Border War (1966-1989), the CASSPIR served, inter alia with the police counterinsurgency unit commonly known as “Koevoet”, the South West African Territory Force’s 101 Battalion and the SA Defence Force’s 5 Reconnaissance Regiment (5RR). After the end of the war the 101Bn vehicles were returned to the SA Army and assigned to the motorised infantry. 5RR has been renamed 5 Special Forces Regiment. It s still believed to operate this outstanding, if elderly, vehicle.
The Army is seeking to replace the CASSPIR under a programme known as Project Sapula. The Army plans a “family of vehicles” that use the same drive train and chassis as selected for the future tactical truck programme, Project Vistula.
From the Armscor Bulletin System:
Depot level repair of components Casspir – extension of EIVS/2009/430
IVS/S2011/1332 15 Jun 2011 R6 140 350,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Depot level repair of Casspir Mk3 vehicles
EIVS/2010/16 9 Dec 2010 R52 305 651,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Service packages for Casspir Mk3 vehicles
EIVS/2009/313 11 Nov 2010 R3 095 690,40 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Product support services for the Casspir Mk3 product system
EIVS/2009/550 27 Oct 2010 R350 877,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Equipment table schedule for Casspir Mk3 vehicles
EIVS/2009/312 30 Sep 2010 R1 244 664,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Depot level repair of components for the Casspir MK3 system
EIVS/2009/430 16 Sep 2010 R5 263 157,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Spares and components for Casspir Mk3 vehicles
EIVS/2009/329 4 Mar 2010 R9 649 120,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Maint contractor’s tasks on Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2006/619
IVS/S2009/1055 25 Feb 2010 R110 000,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
IVS/S2009/0992 22 Oct 2009 R105 303,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Service packages for Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2008/50
IVS/S2009/0967 13 Aug 2009 R20 390,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Depot repair of Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2007/113
IVS/S2009/0913 6 Aug 2009 R4 250 289,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
IVS/S2007/0606 18 Dec 2007 R7 894 734,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Maintenance and repair of Casspir mine protected personnel carrier vehicles – extension of ESPV/2006/578
IVS/S2009/0897 4 Jun 2009 R41 360,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
IVS/S2009/0901 4 Jun 2009 R26 575,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
IVS/S2009/2009 4 Jun 2009 R60 775,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
IVS/S2008/0825 6 Mar 2009 R86 940,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Staff support in support of products system management functions with regard to products systems management – Casspir Vehicle System
EIVS/2008/109 25 Sep 2008 R1 110 525,00 Armscor Defence Institutes (Pty) Ltd
Service packages for Casspir Mk 3 vehicles
EIVS/2008/50 18 Sep 2008 R1 756 387,50 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
A & E Class spares for casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2007/130
IVS/S2007/0612 13 Mar 2008 R9 860 781,97 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Spares for Casspir vehicles
EIVS/2007/130 13 Sep 2007 R15 997 276,50 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Staff support in support of products management functions for Casspir vehicle systems – extension of EIVS/2007/42
IVS/S2007/0572 6 Sep 2007 R97 030,00 Armscor Defence Institutes (Pty) Ltd
Depot level repair of Casspir vehicles
EIVS/2007/113 8 Aug 2007 R32 495 884,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Casspir vehicle component repair
EIVS/2007/66 8 Aug 2007 R13 157 892,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Supply and delivery of ETS 1778/1 for Casspir Mk3 vehicles.
EIVS/2006/618 31 May 2007 R873 174,46 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Main contractor’s tasks on Casspir vehicles
EIVS/2006/619 23 May 2007 R789 471,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Maintenance and 4th line repair of Casspir mine protected personnel vehicles – extension of EJBR/2003/598
IVS/2007/0514 17 May 2007 R184 500,00 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC
Casspir vehicles upgrade and ZF-Axles for the Casspir upgrade programme – extension of EJBR/2003/486
IVS/S2006/0421 22 Feb 2007 R7 003 314,21 BAE Systems t/a Land Systems OMC