UK MoD to acquire new Foxhound vehicles
The UK MoD has announced that it is investing £46 million in acquiring 51 new Foxhound patrol vehicles for soldiers serving on the frontline in Afghanistan. Defence Minister Philip Dunne MP made the announcement during a visit to General Dynamics Force Protection’s spares facility in Telford on 23 November.
The contract is part of an overall investment of £340 million that the MoD has made in Foxhound since 2010, and will bring the army’s total fleet to 376 vehicles. Designed and built by General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Europe, the Foxhound vehicle is a 'highly agile protected vehicle' that provides unparalleled protection for its weight and class, according to the MoD.
Foxhound has been operational in Afghanistan since June 2012 and is now being used by soldiers operating in mentoring and partnering roles with the Afghan National Security Forces.
Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said: ‘Balancing the MoD’s budget means we can now confidently invest in equipment like Foxhound, which has the flexibility and adaptability to operate in a wide variety of environments, providing capability for the army well into the future.’
Speaking in September when Foxhound was first operational in Afghanistan, Chief of Staff for the Bastion Force Protection Wing, Squadron Leader Jim Stewart, said: ‘Foxhound is an enormous leap forward in capability; the off-road mobility, enhanced protection and night-vision systems that it offers to the troops on the ground are unmatched in a vehicle of this size.’
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