Armored Vehicles

BAE Caiman MRAP

The BAE Caiman is a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle derived from the FMTV truck family and Low Signature Armored Cab work, built to move troops through mine, IED, and ambush threats. In the Yemen Civil War, open-source investigations documented Caimans with UAE-backed southern forces, giving the vehicle a protected-mobility role inside the coalition-aligned ground equipment record.

Conflict side
Yemeni government and coalition forces
Built by
BAE Systems Platforms & Services
Built in
United StatesUnited Kingdom
BAE Caiman MRAP, Mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, Armored Vehicles

Service History

In service
2007-present
Used by
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, UAE-backed southern Yemeni forces
Wars
Yemen Civil War

Production History

Designer
Stewart & Stevenson; Armor Holdings; BAE Systems
Designed
Mid-2000s
Built by
BAE Systems Platforms & Services
Built in
United StatesUnited Kingdom
Unit cost
Not consistently reported for transferred surplus vehicles
Produced
2007 onward; later Caiman MTV upgrade work ordered from 2010
Number built
More than 1,700 Caiman vehicles produced or upgraded for U.S. MRAP programs
Variants
Caiman 4x4, Caiman 6x6, Caiman MTV

Specifications

Crew and passengers
Caiman 6x6 configuration commonly listed for up to 10 personnel
Protection
V-hull MRAP layout for mine, IED, fragmentation, and direct-fire survivability
Mobility
Full-time all-wheel drive with automatic transmission and central tire inflation
Speed
About 105 km/h maximum road speed in published specifications
Range
About 645 km for the Caiman 6x6 in published specifications
Armament
Can accept manned or remote weapon stations, commonly machine-gun mounts

Conflict Usage

Yemen Civil War
Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Protected mobility for UAE-backed southern forcesprotected mobility

Documented in Yemen with UAE-backed southern secessionist forces, including reporting that BAE Caiman MRAPs appeared under South Yemen flags and were used by separatist forces in southern fighting and by Southern Giants forces around Hodeidah.

BAE Caiman MRAP Images

Related Weapon Systems

Oshkosh M-ATV, 4x4 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesOshkosh M-ATV4x4 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicleThe Oshkosh M-ATV is a U.S.-built 4x4 MRAP designed to combine mine and ambush protection with better off-road mobility than earlier heavy MRAPs. Its V-hull, armored crew capsule, blast seats, TAK-4 independent suspension, and long road range make it useful as protected tactical transport, convoy security, and battlefield mobility equipment. In the Russia-Ukraine War, open-source reporting has documented M-ATVs in Ukrainian service as part of the broader flow of Western MRAPs used to move troops under mine, artillery, and small-arms threat.

Sources