The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems: Force Protection Europe (GDLS:FPE) for delivery of additional Foxhound light protected patrol vehicles (LPPVs) to its army.
Announced by UK Defence Equipment, Support and Technology minister Philip Dunne, at the ongoing Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Conference in London, the £23m contract covers supply of additional 24 Foxhound vehicles.
The latest contract takes the total number of vehicles ordered to date by the army to 400.
Commenting on the vehicle, Dunne said the Foxhound provides British Armed Forces with enhanced mobility, protection, while enabling them to operate in a wide range of environments.
”This further £23 million investment will bolster the British Army’s capability far into the future and demonstrates our commitment to provide troops with the battle-winning vehicles they deserve,” Dunne said.
”There is no better advertisement for the British defence industry on the international stage than the UK’s Armed Forces using British-built equipment on operations.”
Powered by a Steyr M16-Monoblock diesel engine, the Foxhound is a 4×4 highly-armoured vehicle, designed and built specifically to protect UK soldiers against roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IED) attacks in Afghanistan.
Featuring V-hull blast-protection technology with a modular demountable protected crew pod, the vehicles offer enhanced mobility and blast survivability to soldiers operating in urban environments.
Equipped with Formula One racing technology to offer speeds of up to 70mph, the vehicle is lighter and smaller compared to the army’s Mastiff and Ridgback protected patrol vehicles.
Since 2010, the MoD has spent £371m in Foxhound, which has proved successful on operations in Afghanistan, since its initial deployment in 2012.
Image: Foxhound light protected patrol vehicle undergoing testing at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Photo: copyright of Crown.
