A just released contract notice for Army 2020 vehicle conversions
Converting protected mobility vehicles to support Army 2020 Force Structures
To provide Fleet Conversion services for the Army’s Protected Mobility (PM) fleet of vehicles to achieve the correct variant mix to meet the requirements of the Army 2020 (A2020) Force Development Strategy, against the following vehicle types, hereafter known as ‘The Platforms’.
- Mastiff – all variants,
- Ridgback – all variants,
- Wolfhound – all variants,
Fleet Conversion.
Currently envisaged deliverables to include, but not be limited to:
- Mastiff Troop Carrying Variant (MAS TCV) to Mastiff Enhanced Communications Variant (MAS ECV) Conversion,
- Ridgback Troop Carrying Variant (RBK TCV) to Ridgback Command Variant (RBK CV) Conversion,
- Wolfhound Explosive Ordinance Disposal (WHD EOD) variant to Wolfhound Military Working Dog (WHD MWD) variant Conversion,
- Mastiff 1 to Mastiff 2 Conversion.
Cost Range: between 40 000 000 and 60 000 000 GBP
At face value these seem to be sensible choices given the base vehicle capabilities. The Mastiff and siblings do not have the best mobility, so focusing on roles that are a little more static and a little less likely to be on the move with the vanguard forces prevents their mobility from becoming an embarrassment. I don’t think I can fish out the spec (not that I’ve tried) so this is supposition based on the role descriptors. I assume ‘Military Working Dog’ refers to the canine helpers serving with the army? Otherwise its a damning prejudgement of the Wolfhound’s utility and quality…
Excuse my ignorance but surely putting javelin on all these and auto grenade launchers is a must
I hope your project of wheeled vehicles become a priority because these vehicles are not really military vehicles, about the Javelin, in France we put missiles on anything, then why not :)
That’s FRES-UV you just saw vanishing back over the Horizon.
At least Scout will take a proper armoured vehicle and integrate the lessons of the last decade; the rest of the AFV fleet is turning into a bad joke:
Warrior will finally be the vehicle it should have been in 1980 by about 2020- but can’t properly absorb the lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq
Challenger appears unlikely to be the vehicle it should have been in 2020 ever.
The MRAP fleet are utterly useless for anything other than security enforcement missions.
I suppose Foxhound is in the right place but it’s just 4×4 PPV/Utility vehicle, hardly anything to crow about.
Frenchie
“I hope your project of wheeled vehicles become a priority because these vehicles are not really military vehicles,”
I hope that you’re not right, Frenchie, although I fear that you might be. I read a report the other day to the effect that the US Army had transported 80 MRAP (MaxxPro, I think) vehicles from Kuwait (?) to South Korea to see whether they could be successfully integrated into the Brigade Combat teams of the 2nd Infantry Division. They found out that they could not be.
The Infantry Division found that they were not suitable for “maneuver battalions to use” in Korea and they are being shipped out. The US Army is, apparently, forming plans to scrap 13,000 of its 21,000 MRAPs, keeping 4,000 in operational units and mothballing another 4,000 in case of future contingencies.
Hope the same thing does not happen with Mastiff, Ridgback, etc. They are fine, I would imagine, for certain roles e.g. Talisman but are they best for the Infantry? Roll on FRES UV. Should have been in service years ago.