(1)UK Foxhounds deployed to Helmand
ISAF Public Affairs video of Foxhound light protected patrol vehicles arriving and operating at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, Afghanistan. From a General Dynamics press release about a new contract with the UK Ministry of Defense:
The Foxhound is a new design for a light tactical (4x4) highly mine- and blast-protected vehicle, integrating V-hull blast-protection technology with a modular demountable protected crew pod. The vehicle's low weight and tight turning circle enable it to operate effectively in urban environments where the infrastructure cannot support heavier, larger vehicles. The V-hull runs the length of the vehicle, providing mine and blast protection for the engine and driveline components packaged within its protective envelope. The crew pod rests on the V-hull and is designed to be able to tilt, enabling routine repair and maintenance, or to be removed and replaced quickly by an alternative mission module. This modularity allows multiple configurations and capabilities although the UK MoD is currently only procuring a patrol variant of Foxhound.
The initial deal for the Foxhounds was signed in 2010, to replace the Snatch Land Rovers used by UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The latter lightly armored vehicles were criticized for low survivability in IED blasts and, according to a Guardian article, earned the nickname 'mobile coffins' by some UK soldiers.
READER COMMENTS: "UK Foxhounds deployed to Helmand"
Posted by Nic at June 20, 2012 9:39 PM ET:
Would someone please explain why, in an age of sophisticated, remote controlled aiming devices, that a bullet magnet has to place himself outside the armor in order to defend the vehicle? A Boy Scout could take out those two guys. I keep thinking of the scene in Black Hawk down where the first 50 cal. gunner had been shot and the driver of the Humvee was yelling "Man the 50."