Casspir costs climb

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The cost of maintaining the South African Army;s fleet of Casspir mine protected armoured personnel carriers stands at over R111.2 million for four years. The latest R350 877 contract awarded BA Systems takes the bill for the motorised infantry prime mover to R111 222 865.64.

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.

Product support services for the Casspir Mk3 product system

EIVS/2009/550 27 Oct 2010 R350 877,00

Equipment table schedule for Casspir Mk3 vehicles

EIVS/2009/312 30 Sep 2010 R1 244 664,00

Depot level repair of components for the Casspir MK3 system

EIVS/2009/430 16 Sep 2010 R5 263 157,00

Spares and components for Casspir Mk3 vehicles

EIVS/2009/329 4 Mar 2010 R9 649 120,00

Maint contractor’s tasks on Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2006/619

IVS/S2009/1055 25 Feb 2010 R110 000,00

IVS/S2009/0992 22 Oct 2009 R105 303,00

Service packages for Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2008/50

IVS/S2009/0967 13 Aug 2009 R20 390,00

Depot repair of Casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2007/113

IVS/S2009/0913 6 Aug 2009 R4 250 289,00

IVS/S2007/0606 18 Dec 2007 R7 894 734,00

Maintenance and repair of Casspir mine protected personnel carrier vehicles – extension of ESPV/2006/578

IVS/S2009/0897 4 Jun 2009 R41 360,00

IVS/S2009/0901 4 Jun 2009 R26 575,00

IVS/S2009/2009 4 Jun 2009 R60 775,00

IVS/S2008/0825 6 Mar 2009 R86 940,00

Service packages for Casspir Mk 3 vehicles

EIVS/2008/50 18 Sep 2008 R1 756 387,50

A & E Class spares for casspir vehicles – extension of EIVS/2007/130

IVS/S2007/0612 13 Mar 2008 R9 860 781,97

Spares for Casspir vehicles

EIVS/2007/130 13 Sep 2007 R15 997 276,50

Depot level repair of Casspir vehicles

EIVS/2007/113 8 Aug 2007 R32 495 884,00

Casspir vehicle component repair

EIVS/2007/66 8 Aug 2007 R13 157 892,00

Supply and delivery of ETS 1778/1 for Casspir Mk3 vehicles.

EIVS/2006/618 31 May 2007 R873 174,46

Main contractor’s tasks on Casspir vehicles

EIVS/2006/619 23 May 2007 R789 471,00

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

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