Doc Summary
The Tempest Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) is a 4×4 armoured vehicle developed for the British Army by Supacat to meet the specific needs of Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams in the Royal Engineers.
Tempest Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) – History #
In parallel to the Alvis 4 and Alvis 8 work, one of the sales engineers from Alvis who was involved with the programme had by this time left Alvis and set up a company in the USA called Seafire. Seafire worked with the Technical Solutions Group to market its products in the UK and Europe.
For the Alvis 4 replacement, Seafire proposed the Lion Mine-Protected vehicle and partnered with Supacat who acted as the technical prime and integrator for UK specific requirements and safety compliance.
The name Tempest was chosen to avoid confusion with a number of other MoD projects and eventually, 8 vehicles were obtained for a total contract price of £2.7 million in 2001.
An older version of the Royal Engineers website claimed that the Tempest MPV was based on a Peterbilt 330 tractor unit with a Marmon Herrington 4 wheel drive running gear but other sources indicate that it was a custom-designed unit based on a US Mack truck running gear to South African based design.
Other sources claim it was a derivitive of the Force Protection Cougar.
Reliability and safety problems with the previous Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV), Mamba, led the Department to consider refurbishment and modification of Mamba or its replacement. Replacement through a competitive Urgent Operational Requirement was chosen as the best option with bids assessed against the user’s requirements of survivability (predominantly against mines), mobility, fightability and supportability.
In November 2001 the bid from Supacat of the Tempest vehicle, based on an early version of the Force Protection Inc Cougar, was selected. Tempest was the name of the vehicle not the programme, but it is no longer used and the vehicle is now known in UK service simply as the MPV.
A £2.7 million contract for eight MPVs was awarded to Supacat shortly afterwards with Technical Solutions Group Inc. (a subsidiary of Force Protection Inc.) supplying the base vehicle. The MPVs are supported under a contractor logistic support arrangement with Supacat Ltd. I am unable to provide the cost of the contract as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.
MPVs are used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams for specialist tasks such as EOD reconnaissance, rescue and recovery and route proving. MPVs were deployed to Bosnia from January to May 2004; and Iraq from July 2003 to November 2004. There are still eight MPVs in service including a number currently in Afghanistan.
MPV was a commercial off the shelf equipment with some UK specific EOD modifications. Supacat Ltd. own the MPV intellectual property, although the MOD has free user rights for repair and maintenance. The majority of its specification is not classified but I am unable to comment on its detailed specifications and in particular its protection, as this would, or would be likely to prejudice the security of our armed forces.
The MPV was claimed to be proven against detonation of a single TMRP-6 mine underneath the personnel capsule, a single TM57 mine under the vehicle centreline and two stacked TM57 mines under a wheel.
The official name was Tempest 4×4 12TON Mine Protected Vehicle.
Eight were purchased and they were for the specific use of EOD teams in 33 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers (RE), not general purpose patrol vehicles.
The Tempest Mine Protected Vehicle has been configured for use by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams for specialist tasks such as EOD reconnaissance, rescue and recovery and route proving; they have some UK specific EOD modifications.
In February 2003, TSG announced the delivery of the final Tempest MPV.
Tempest was deployed to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Bosnia from January to May 2004
- Iraq from July 2003 to November 2004.
- Afghanistan, 2006
For the Iraq deployment, theatre specific modifications included ECM and communication equipment.
A £2.2 million support contract was awarded to Supacat to ensure availability to 2010, building on a previous support contract let at time of procurement.
The contract included a requirement to ensure two vehicles were available at 24 hours notice, and additionally, pairs of vehicles incrementally at 48 hours and 76 hours.
Vehicles were eventually disposed in 2007.
It appears one or more eventually found their way to Ukraine.
Tempest Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) – Technical Specifications #
The Tempest was built on a monocoque chassis with a V-shaped hull to mitigate blast effects from mines and IEDs, offering STANAG 4569 Level 3a/2b equivalent protection against underbody threats.
Key specifications include:
- Dimensions and Weight: Gross vehicle weight of approximately 15,422 kg, with a payload capacity of 2,268kg
- Powertrain: Caterpillar 3126E 300 hp diesel engine, coupled with an Allison Automatic MD 3560P 5 speed transmission, and Marmon-Herrington MVG-750R transfer case. A top speed of around 100 km/h on roads. Left hand drive. Hutchinson 365/85R20 Run Flat tyres
- Crew and Capacity: Accommodates two crew members (driver and commander) plus up to eight additional personnel, with ballistic-resistant seating and armour.
- Braking and Systems: Equipped with air brakes for enhanced control under load. Features include four roof hatches for observation or weapon mounting, and specialist fittings like sliding hatches designed by SC Innovation for access.
- Protection: Armoured against small arms fire (up to 7.62 mm), including the glass areas, fragments, and blasts, with emphasis on crew survivability in IED attackes. STANAG 4569 Level 3a/2b equivalent protection against underbody threats.
Dimensions
| Vehicle | Length | Width | Height | Max Speed | Acceleration | Turning Circle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPV | 6.28m | 2.75m | 3.04m | 80km/h | Not measured | 17m |
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