The Casspir Mk 1 (1980) was one of the first mine-protected vehicles and its basic design elements inspired many others. It has a narrow, welded steel, monocoque hull, raised high off the ground and sharply angled at the bottom to deflect explosive blasts. The engine is at the front, in a conventional truck layout. A spare wheel is carried on the middle lower hull on each side.
The main compartment has front-facing seats for the driver (on the right) and vehicle commander (left) at the front. Bullet-proof windows (DR 25, semi-ablative) give good visibility to the front and sides. A hatch above the commander’s seat has an unstabilised open mount, usually armed with a Browning M2HB (GURPS High-Tech, p. 133) or one or two FN MAG (GURPS High-Tech, pp. 134-135) machine guns. A medium radio is provided for the commander. Each side of the main compartment has six inward-facing seats and three bullet-proof windows for passengers. Six gun ports (GURPS High-Tech, p. 228), between the seats, allow passengers to shoot from inside the vehicle. Access is via pneumatic double doors at the rear, which also have gun ports and bullet-proof windows. The roof above the passenger seating is covered only with a removable canvas (DR 0). A 53-gallon water tank is provided for crew and passengers.
Common modifications include adding a gun shield (DR 18) to the commander’s open mount and fitting a thin (DR 5) steel roof to replace the canvas. Alternative weapons which could be fitted on the commander’s open mount include Hispano Mk V autocannon scavenged from outdated fighter planes, captured Soviet HMGs such as the ZiD KPV (GURPS High-Tech, p. 134), and Vektor SS-77 and Mini-SS machine guns.
The Mk 2 (1981) has many minor improvements. The spare wheels are moved to the upper rear of the hull sides, giving them better protection from mines and collisions. An additional open mount can be fitted to the commander’s side window. An applique armor system adds +10 DR to the body front and sides, increases weight by 0.7 tons, and reduces Move to 1/26.
The Mk 3 (1983) has a more powerful engine and stronger suspension, as well as upgrading the mine protection. A gun-carrier variant (Occ 4, Loc 4W2X) has an open deck at the rear, with an open unstabilised mount for a Watervliet M40 recoilless rifle (GURPS High-Tech, p. 141) with 12 ready rounds. Access to the cab is through a door to the deck.
The Casspir NG (New Generation) (2013) series is larger and better protected than its predecessors, but has the same overall design.
Unarmed ambulance variants of all marks are available, capable of holding two stretchers, four medical personnel, and a driver (Occ 1+6, Loc 4W).
Police variants typically have the open mount and gun ports removed, a roof over the passengers, and larger windows, which are covered by mesh to stop them being chipped by thrown objects. On some versions the front fenders are fitted with a mechanism to lower them in order to shove obstacles aside. A wire-cutter is often mounted on the roof.
The Blesbok (1982) is a logistics vehicle based on the Mk 2. It has an armored cab with side doors for the driver and commander, and an open cargo bed with fold-down sides. The Duiker fuel bowser is essentially the same vehicle with a 1,320-gallon tank.
The Gemsbok (1982) is a recovery vehicle with a 16.5 ton crane. The cab has one door on the right and two on the left.
Mortar-carrier variants of the Mk 3 and NG (Occ 6) have a widened section at the rear of the vehicle, where a circular mounting plate fits a Vektor 81mm mortar (a copy of the Hotchkiss MO-81-61-LL) which can turn in any direction and fires through the open roof. They carry 192 mortar rounds.
DRIVING/TL (HEAVY WHEELED)
| TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Casspir Mk 1 | 109 | −1/4 | 11 | 1/27 | 11.8 | 1.7 | +5 | 2+12 | 25/60 | 500 | $120k | 4WX | [1] |
| 8 | Casspir Mk 2 | 110 | −1/4 | 11 | 1/27 | 12 | 1.7 | +5 | 2+12 | 25/60 | 500 | $130k | 4WX | [1] |
| 8 | Casspir Mk 3 | 116 | −1/4 | 12 | 1/27 | 13.9 | 1.7 | +5 | 2+12 | 25/90 | 500 | $180k | 4WX | [1] |
| 8 | Casspir NG | 122 | −1/4 | 11 | 1/33 | 15.8 | 1.7 | +5 | 2+12 | 35/90 | 500 | $350k | 4WX | [1][2] |
| 8 | Blesbok | 99 | −1/4 | 11 | 1/27 | 13.2 | 5.7 | +5 | 2 | 25/60 | 500 | $130k | 4WX | [1] |
| 8 | Gemsbok | 130 | −1/4 | 11 | 1/24 | 17.4 | 0.2 | +5 | 2+3 | 25/60 | 430 | $160k | 4WX | [1] |
[1] First DR figure is for body front, sides, rear, and top. Second is for body underside.
[2] Run-flat tires (GURPS High-Tech, p. 229).