UK deploys vehicles to Mali after off-road mobility upgrade
Mastiff and Ridgeback upgrade was led by NP Aerospace to meet an Urgent Capability Requirement for the British Army.
A team led by NP Aerospace has re-engineered Ridgeback protected patrol vehicles and Mastiff mine-protected platforms for a British Army deployment in Mali.
‘A number of vehicles have already been deployed on operation during COVID-19 restrictions with the first wave delivered in just over 80 working days,’ NP Aerospace announced on 16 March.
New systems on Ridgback and Mastiff (pictured, the UK version of the Cougar mine-protected vehicle) include independent suspension systems with ride height control; an upgraded driveline; steering and braking systems; central tyre inflation systems; and increased diameter tyres.
Work under an MoD Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support contract met an Urgent Capability Requirement for the British Army.
The off-road mobility upgrade contract, worth about £7 million ($9.7 million), was awarded in May 2020 and covered 12 vehicles plus associated spares.
NP Aerospace led the project with support from HORIBA MIRA, Horstman, Texelis, Timoney, Tyron and Universal Fabrications.
More than 700 Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles have been overhauled and modified by NP Aerospace over the last 15 years for use in various operational theatres.
Work has included updating communications systems, up-armouring to meet specific threats and suspension system upgrades.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders]()
K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders
Hanwha Aerospace’s tracked K9 Thunder 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled howitzer has had notable success in the market over the past few years in Europe and Asia, with Poland alone ordering 316 systems.
-
![De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems]()
De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems
How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.
-
![Battlefield mobility, made in the UK]()
Battlefield mobility, made in the UK
How does Britain ensure that we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and allies – now and in the future – with homegrown innovation and resilient domestic manufacturing? At Pearson Engineering, we are proud to be a central part of the answer to this increasingly important question.
