Buffalo (Armored Personnel Carrier)

The Buffalo is a family of armoured personnel carrier and support vehicles, designed and developed jointly by Kodeshia and Theyka it is manufactured by Changzhi Automotive Industry Corporation in Kodeshia and locally produced in Theyka by XXX. It entered service in 1970s and over 3,000 have been produced. Primarily used by the Imperial Armed Forces of Kodeshia, and Ngāti Tūmatauenga of Thekya but it is also potentially used by other countries.

The Buffalo has more than thirty variants and sub-variants. Beyond their common primary role of transporting personnel and equipment in combat zones, some Buffalos are tailored for mechanized infantry combat, some fulfil the role of anti-tank missile launchers, some of self-propelled mortars, some are optimized for electronic warfare, others act as reconnaissance or artillery observation vehicles, and some are designed for specific roles such as command and control, communications and logistics, medical support, and engineering support.

History
By the mid-1960s, the Kodeshi military felt a need to re-evaluate their aging light vehicle fleet and replace them with a more modern and efficient models. Due to a lack of resources, they tried to modernize, existing models. But this proved to be a difficult task. After considering several options, they decided to produce a new design and sought an international partner to spread the costs. While Akiteiwa, Hwangchu. Qingcheng and HCCK would seem natural partners they either did join or were involved in their own programs. So Theyka was also in need of vehicle of similar requirements and it jointed to program. Theyka also decided to participate and the project was named "Buffalo". The project was started in 1968 and completed in 1973.

Design
The vehicle is either a 4×4 or 6x6 configuration all-terrain wheeled armoured personnel carrier. The vehicle has a modular concept with different versions to meet different requirements and missions. The basic model is a four-wheel drive with a crew of two. It can be configured to carry up to six passengers or three tons of cargo. The vehicle can also be configured as a six-wheel drive for heavy duty work with a more powerful engine. The vehicle has amphibious capability for land and water operations. The front windows are bullet-proof and all the windows can be further protected by armoured panels, which can be shut entirely or leaving a small observation slit. It was designed from the outset to be airlifted so it was originally designed around a 12-13-tonnes mass but with upgrades and improvements this can now reach up to 20 tonnes. It has a modular chassis with a high level of flexibility in configuration and operation.

Variants
The Buffalo has been produced in multiple variants. In Kodeshia it is known as the Changzhi ZSC-73 Shuiniu (: 裝甲輸送車; Zhuāngjiǎ shūsòng chē lit. 'Armored transport vehicle'; 水牛; Shuǐniú; lit. 'Buffalo') with additional codes and numbers denoting the exact specification. , In Thekya it is known as the XX Kau Wai (: Kau Wai; lit. 'Water Buffalo').

Kodeshi Variants

 * Changzhi Shuiniu ZSC.73134
 * ZSC = 裝甲輸送車; Zhuāngjiǎ shūsòng chē ("Armored transport vehicle"), 73 = ("1973 model"), 13 = ("13.6 tonne"), 4 = ("4x4 variant"),
 * Initial production 4x4 armoured personnel carrier version was made for military purposes such as personnel and military equipment transportation, rescue, and protection. It can accommodate up to twelve people, two crew and ten passengers and weapons system options includes standard pintle mount for various machine guns or grenade systems. introduced in 1973.


 * Changzhi Shuiniu ZSC.73146
 * ZSC = 裝甲輸送車; Zhuāngjiǎ shūsòng chē ("Armored transport vehicle"), 73 = ("1973 model"), 14 = ("14.8 tonne"), 6 = ("6x6 variant"),
 * Initial production 6x6 armoured personnel carrier version with improved off-road mobility and payload compared to the 4x4. It can accommodate up to twelve people, two crew and ten passengers and weapons system options includes standard pintle mount for various machine guns or grenade systems. introduced in 1973.

Users
 Kodeshia  Theyka
 * Imperial Armed Forces of Kodeshia: has operated the Shuiniu since 1973.
 * Ngāti Tūmatauenga: the Kau Wai is in active service.

Potential operators
 Qingcheng The Buffalo was being evaluated for use by Qingcheng Military.