The ARV 3 Buffalo technical security vehicle is a proven companion of the Leopard 2 tank
Only the equipment of the Bergepanzer 3/ARV 3 technical support vehicle can support the entire range of Leopard 2 tanks, in particular the A5, A6 and A7 versions, which, due to additional armor, weigh more than 60 tons. In the photo, ARV 3 raises the Leopard 2A6 turret.
The ARV 3 Buffalo Maintenance Vehicle is an important element of the "Leopard 2 System", consisting of: the Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank and the ARV 3 Maintenance Vehicle, which is its standard support vehicle. Buffalo has excellent characteristics, its advantages also include reliability and efficiency in difficult terrain, including in extremely difficult weather conditions. As a member of the Leopard 2 family, the ARV 3 is currently in service with 10 user nations (LeoBen Club) and performs a wide range of missions to help keep these tank units at the highest level of readiness.
In 1979, the Bundeswehr adopted the Leopard 2 MBT with a combat weight of 55,2 tons. After several years of their service, it was already clear that the Bergepanzer 2/ARV 2 support vehicles, based on the chassis of the Leopard 1 tanks, could not fully meet the needs of ships using the Leopard 2A4.
When the first major upgrade of the Leopard-2 was planned - to the 2A5 / KWS II variant, mainly associated with improved ballistic protection, which means that the weight of the turret and the entire vehicle should have increased, it became obvious that soon the Bergepanzer 2, also in a modernized version A2, will cease to perform its tasks in cooperation with this tank. For this reason, MaK from Kiel - today part of Rheinmetall Landsysteme - received an order in the second half of the 80s to develop a Bergepanzer 3 / ARV 3 technical recovery vehicle based on the Leopard 2. The production of machine prototypes began. tests in 1988, and in 1990 an order was placed for the supply of new WZTs for the Bundeswehr. Bergepanzer 75 Büffel 3-series machines were delivered between 1992 and 1994. Following similar considerations, also other user countries
Leopardy 2 - such machines were purchased by the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden (25, 14 and 25 wzt, respectively), and later Spain and Greece (16 and 12) followed in their footsteps, as well as Canada, which purchased two surplus BREM 3 from the Bundeswehr and ordered re-equipment 12 tanks purchased for this purpose in Switzerland into such vehicles. A few more countries that have purchased Leopard 2s recalled by existing users have purchased used ARV 3s.
BREM-3 is a member of the Leopard-2 family.
The 3 Buffalo armored recovery vehicle, as it is the export designation of the Bergepanzer 3 Büffel, is an armored tracked vehicle with excellent traction in all terrain. It can be used not only for the evacuation of damaged MBTs from the battlefield and their repair, but also for a wide range of auxiliary tasks performed directly in the combat area, thanks to a winch, blade and crane. As mentioned, Buffalo is based on Leo-
parda 2 and has the same off-road capability and power plant characteristics as the tank. Büffel/Buffalo is operated in 10 countries and has had the opportunity to prove itself in expeditionary missions and combat operations. Fully logistically integrated with the Leopard 2, it still has significant future upgrade potential.
Efficient specialized equipment
The rich and highly efficient equipment for the recovery of vehicles and their repair directly in the combat area makes the Buffalo a great value for combat units. The most important items of equipment include: a crane with a lifting capacity of up to 30 tons on the hook, a working height of 7,9 m and an outreach of 5,9 meters. The crane can rotate 270° and the maximum angle of the boom is 70°. Thanks to this, Buffalo can not only replace built-in power plants in the field, but also complete tank turrets, including the Leopard 2A7 turret.
Another important piece of equipment is the winch winch. It has a pulling force of 350 kN (about 35 tons) and a rope length of 140 meters. By using a double or triple pulley system, the pulling force of the winch can be increased up to 1000 kN. An auxiliary winch with a pulling force of 15,5 kN is also installed on the machine, additionally - as a support for winches - the so-called. evacuation sled. This allows you to quickly restore even a badly damaged car from rough terrain.
