On the 22^nd February, the Ministry of Defence placed a formal order with the US firm Force Protection for the supply of 174 Cougar Mastiff armoured vehicles for the British Army. The number ordered is 34 over the figure announced by the government in 2007.

Brown: New Armoured Vehicles a Safeguard Against Landmines

Previously, Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, had told Parliament that British soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq would be supplied with 140 new vehicles as a safeguard against landmines and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Both types of weapon have claimed the lives of large numbers of British troops since the War in Iraq began in 2003.

Under the terms of the deal – which has a value of £58.54 million – Force Protection will supply all 174 by December 2008. Following this, it is obliged to supply spare parts and fill servicing requirements until the middle of next year.

Cougar Used by US, Italian Militaries

The Cougar Mastiff gives those inside protection against mines and similar devices. In its homeland, the same vehicle goes by the name of the Cougar HE, and it is in service with the US Marine Corps, as well as with the Italian armed forces.

Force Protection’s range of armoured vehicles also includes the Buffalo and Cheetah designs, which are comparable to the Cougar in terms of protection and capability.

The MoD’s purchase of these new machines comes hot on the heels of Coroner David Master’s call for improvements in troop protection.

Mr Masters, speaking at an inquest into the deaths of four British soldiers in Iraq in 2007, said he would discuss the troop protection issue with Minister of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth.

Source – Armed Forces International’s Political Correspondent

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