EUROPE
23 Jun 10. Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, today announced the acquisition of a further 28 Wolfhound heavy tactical support vehicles from IST. Designed to provide high levels of protection for troops supplying forward operating bases, the Wolfhound is from the same stable as the Force Protection Mastiff mine resistant, ambush protected vehicle which has become the byword for survivability in theatres such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The MoD ordered 98 Wolfhounds in April of last year.
23 Jun 10. The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £45m contract to the Supacat–Babcock industry alliance for over 140 further Jackal weapons-mounted 4×4 patrol vehicles to support operations in Afghanistan. The new order will bring the total number of Jackal vehicles in service with the UK Armed Forces to over 400, in 3 configurations; Jackal 1, Jackal 2 and this latest improved variant, Jackal 2a. Production of the Jackal 2a vehicle uplift commenced in February 2010, immediately following on from final delivery of a UOR contract placed with the Supacat–Babcock alliance in April 2009 for approximately 120 Jackal 2 and more than 70 new 6×6 ‘Coyote’ Tactical Support Vehicle (Light) (TSV(L)). This contract has been completed successfully to a high quality standard and on time. The upgraded Jackal 2a is an enhanced version of the successful Jackal 2 with the design changes driven by direct operational feedback. The primary change is the introduction of a new cab design with integrated mine blast protection which simplifies production and improves the performance over that offered by the previous system fitted to Jackal 2.