Büffel VII

Büffel VII Engineering Support Vehicle
Production information
Manufacturer	Arcturan Arms Lestrade Motors MacEnroe Motors
Production Year	2407
Use	Salvage Vehicle Minefield Sweeper Obstacle Removal
Tech Base	N/A
Chassis Type (Size)	Tracked (Medium)
Equipment Rating	C/C-D-C/E
Cost	N/A
Introduced	2407
Technical specifications
Mass	70 tons
Cruise Speed	30 km/h
Flank Speed	50 km/h
Power Plant	ICE
Fuel (Type/Range)	208 km (Petrochemicals)
Armament	3x Machine Guns 2x Vehicle Grenade Launchers
Heat Sinks	0
Armor	Commercial Armor
Barrier Armor Rating (BAR)	7
Crew	6 (1 officer, 2 enlisted/non-rated, 3 gunners}
BV (2.0)	351 365

Description

The Büffel VII is a House Steiner combat engineering vehicle that was first produced in 2407. The vehicle was created to help Combat Engineers remove battlefield obstacles, such as debris, salvage and minefields.

The vehicle was produced by Arcturan Arms of Arcturus during the Age of War. The vehicle saw service for centuries in the Lyran Commonwealth's main line units and then later in planetary militia units. The vehicle in one form or another remained in service despite its manufacturing being taken over by MacEnroe Motors which later went out of business. The Büffel VII's specifications became the basis for many combat engineering vehicles to come after it.

The Jihad and the discovery of the Hegemony Memory Core allowed the vehicle to be brought back into production at both its old factory site on Arcturus and on Halfway.

Weapons and Equipment

Not intended for direct combat, the Büffel is meant to operate in the rear areas of friendly forces. The weaponry of the Büffel VII includes a pair of turret-mounted machine guns and a single one mounted in the front. Providing for some defense against light armored vehicles and infantry it has been given a pair of Vehicle Grenade Launchers mounted in the rear. A ton of ammunition is allocated to the machine guns.

The vehicle has a Bulldozer in its front to allow it to plow through debris. To help haul disabled vehicles, it mounts two Lift Hoists on the turret to allow for maximum flexibility. Its Internal Combustion Engine manages to get the vehicle up to approximately 50 km/h, while its fuel capacity allows it to travel 208 km. The vehicle is protected by 5.5 tons' worth of reinforced hull plating armor that allows it to survive enemy fire long enough to accomplish its mission objectives.

The vehicle is also fitted with rear-facing Minesweeper gear, however due to its placing, the operators must drive the Büffel backwards in order to clear a minefield. The vehicle's rear armor has been configured so as to handle this task with some safety.

Variants

Büffel (Reverse) 

• Its only Age of War era production variant produced by MacEnroe Motors in 2552, this variant swaps the Minesweeper and bulldozer arrangements so that the vehicle can drive forwards while clearing mines. This allows for a swifter sweeping of the battlefield. BV (2.0)= 365

Büffel (Cargo) 

• This is a field-upgrade developed in 2451 which includes the removal of the rear-mounted Grenade launchers in favor of additional cargo capacity. BV (2.0)= 343

Büffel VIII 

• This Jihad era Variant is produced by restarted factories in the Lyran Alliance in 3074. It removes the single Machine Gun mounted in the front and the Vehicle Grenade Launchers in favor of a Cargo Bay to allow twenty Combat Engineers to be transported onto the field. BV (2.0)= 339

Notes

• Büffel is German for "Buffalo."

Gallery

• 

  Original Büffel from TRO:3075

Bibliography

• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War
• Technical Readout: 3075