Surprise contender for MRAP II: The Caiman

OK, so maybe I'm the only one surprised. The Caiman had not warranted mention in any of the stories I had seen about the MRAP II competition, though it was clear enough that parent company BAE Systems (parent of Armor Holdings, Inc., maker of the Caiman) was competing.

As one of only two contractors chosen, BAE Systems will produce Category I MRAP II test vehicles based on the company’s Caiman 6x6 design and Category II MRAP II test vehicles based on the company’s RG33 6x6 vehicle. Six Category I MRAP II vehicles, along with improved armor solutions, will be provided to the customer in March 2008 for testing under the contract’s initial delivery order.

“The RG33 and Caiman vehicles have the right balance of payload capability, automotive performance, and blast protection, and have proven extremely capable of handling the significantly increased requirements of MRAP-II,” said Matt Riddle, vice president of Wheeled Vehicle Programs. “Our designs offer mobility upgrades that significantly increase payload capacity and enable the integration of superior survivability enhancements across the threat spectrum.”

(Businesswire.com)

Based on the media reports of the early MRAP II competition, I had mused that the 1,000 or so Caimans (almost all of the Cat. I variety) ordered as part of MRAP I represented the total number the military would possess. Apparently the vehicles have performed well under test conditions.

I certainly would not have predicted that the Caiman would square off with the (Ceradyne) Bull to secure a win in the MRAP II competition. The RG-33 ... maybe.

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