Ministry of Defence
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£700m for new vehicles for operations
Defence Secretary John Hutton announced today over £700M for an extra 700 vehicles to further improve the safety and protection of our troops on operations in Afghanistan.
The £700M announcement included;
* £350M for over 400 new
armoured support trucks to accompany our existing patrols carrying
the essential supplies such as water and ammunition. The three
distinct categories of Tactical Support Vehicles (TSV)
are:
WOLFHOUND: TSV (Heavy). Heavy armoured support trucks -
Supporting and re-supplying our Mastiffs in the highest threat
areas. These vehicles will have the highest levels of mine blast
protection;
HUSKY: TSV (Medium). Medium armoured support
trucks - Carrying out the support roles in lower threat areas and
where heavy vehicles, like Mastiff, cannot be used;
COYOTE:
TSV (Light). Light armoured support vehicles - supporting our
go-anywhere Jackals across the harsh terrain of
Afghanistan;
WARTHOG: Over 100 brand new cross-country
vehicles with greater protection levels, replacing Vikings in
Afghanistan;
Over 100 more Jackals, extremely agile
all-terrain vehicles, with high-levels of off-road mobility and
firepower.
Development of a specialist route clearance system
including the Buffalo mine protected vehicle, at a cost of £96M,
giving us a new high-tech way of dealing with the IED threat.
Secretary of State for Defence John Hutton said:
"Getting the right vehicles and equipment to our Armed Forces has always been an absolute priority. Today's multi million pound package shows that we are responding to new and changing threats on the ground and will provide our serving personnel with the highest levels of protection and mobility that technology will allow.
I have seen first-hand the difference our Mastiff and Jackals are already making to our troops in Afghanistan; the arrival of 700 new vehicles will improve even further their ability to move cross-country and provide vital support with the utmost protection to our existing vehicle fleets."
In addition, new vehicles, upgrades and modifications were also
announced today:
* Buying 30 base Cougar vehicles, a mixture
of 4x4 and 6x6 which will be modified to boost our training fleets
for Mastiff and Ridgback;
* Panther - offering excellent
mobility and impressive levels of protection for its size. The new
vehicle has been modified and upgraded to prepare for its arrival
in Afghanistan;
* Snatch-Vixen - a new variant specially
designed for Afghanistan. The vehicle has been given extra power
and payload which enhances the mobility and protection of the vehicle.
Today's announcement, builds on previous measures that are already making a difference in Iraq and Afghanistan - the hugely successful Mastiff with its superior levels of protection, the Jackal with its impressive firepower, speed allowing troops to get off the tracks and roads and strike hard at the enemy from all directions.
Mastiff's smaller brother - Ridgback - due to arrive on operations early in the new year will add to this and deliver protection levels close to that of Mastiff in a package that gives better access to urban areas, increasing the survivability of troops in these roles.
Notes to Editors:
1. A WMS was laid in the house on 29 October 2008.
2. WOLFHOUND TSV(H) and COYOTE TSV(L) will come as one variant; a utility flatbed vehicle used to transport combat supplies. HUSKY TSV(M) will come as 3 variants; utility, ambulance and command post.
3. Snatch-Vixen - Snatch's running gear, chassis, engine, and other automotive components have been modified to give the vehicle more power and the ability to carry a greater load.
4. Panther - a recent Defence procurement offering excellent mobility and impressive levels of protection for its size. Panther will be modified with a few theatre-specific alterations in order to field it to Afghanistan. With a full communications capability, it will offer a capable addition to the options available in certain roles
5. Alongside Mastiff and Ridgback, increasing the Jackal fleet, procuring Tactical Support Vehicles (TSVs) and the development of a Viking replacement will bring the total number of new protected vehicles we are procuring for operations to over 1200.
