The Force Protection Ocelot is a British armoured vehicle that is scheduled to
replace the United Kingdom's Snatch Land Rover with British forces. It will
receive the service name Foxhound, in line with the names given to other
wheeled armored vehicles in current British use, such as Mastiff and
Ridgeback, which are based on the Cougar. This is not to be confused with
the BAE Systems Australia Foxhound, a modified Short Brothers S600. The goal
in replacing the Snatch Land Rover was to improve protection of personnel
against improvised explosive devices. Design
Designed by Force Protection Europe and the automotive engineering company
Ricardo, the Ocelot is intended for use as a light protected patrol vehicle with
specialised protection against roadside bombs and improvised explosive devicess.
It can weigh up to 7,500 kilograms when loaded. This is smaller than most
Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, but larger than the Humvee
replacement vehicles being developed through the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
program. Powered by a Steyr M16-Monoblock Diesel
engine, connected to a ZF 6HP28X 6-speed automatic transmission, it reaches a
speed of 50 mph in 19.75 seconds, and has a maximum speed of 82 mph. Its
wheels function independently, so the vehicle's other wheels should continue
to work if one is blown off. It is claimed that the engine can be removed
and replaced in 30 minutes. The design is modular, and all of the
components can be removed easily. The protective pod where up to six people
can sit is interchangeable to allow easy modification according to the vehicle's
role. For example, it can perform as an ambulance, supply vehicle, or jeep.
Parts can also be easily replaced for minimum service time. It can travel
through terrain that would not be accessible to other civilian vehicles,
such as jungle, deep mud, or ruts. Its cabin is made of advanced composite
materials. It is claimed that such composite materials can provide
protection like metal armor with a composite spall liner, but at a lighter
weight, saving fuel. Critical parts such as the crew compartment, engine, fuel
tank and transmission are contained within the V-shaped armored ‘spine’ that
deflects potential blast away from the pod, thus protecting the occupants and
key components. The Ocelot will be the first British
military vehicle to meet the MoD’s recent Generic Vehicle Architecture
requirements. The GVA requirements are intended to create a single, standard
digital electronic and electrical architecture for UK vehicles.
History Historically, the development of
mine-resistant vehicles can be described in terms of four generations.
The first efforts occurred during World War II in the Africa campaign. Pilot
trucks were sent out with sandbags on their floors in an attempt to prevent
secondary fragments and to keep acceleration to a minimum by increasing
the weight of the vehicle. The increase of mine use caused the
advance of retrofitting in the next generation. This second generation used
angled blast deflectors that vented the blast away and provided more protection
from fragments. The third generation saw the advance of
V-shaped hulls in an attempt to better protect soldiers from blast waves. It
was shown that a V-shaped hull protects better than a flat-bottomed hull because
it directs a blast wave to flow around the vehicle instead of imparting most of
the blast energy directly to the vehicle.
The fourth generation brought about what were called monocoque hulls. They were
designed by Konschel and the front and back wheel assemblies were attached by
shear bolts. The wheels were also extended out from under the cab. The
purpose of this design was so that if a wheel detonated a mine, the wheel would
simply shear off and protect both the drive train and the passengers in the
vehicle. Force Protection Industries in America
and Europe has developed several mine-resistant vehicles with V-shaped
hulls since 2000, including the Buffalo and the Cougar. These have demonstrated
improved protection of soldiers exposed to blast threats. Both the Buffalo and
the Cougar are large and heavy. Force Protection developed the Ocelot to meet
the need for a smaller, lighter, more versatile vehicle that could still
provide protection against blasts. The Ocelot was first shown in September
2009 by Force Protection Europe at the Defence Systems and Equipment
International exhibition in London. Two units were purchased by the British
Ministry of Defence in April 2010 for further testing.
On 22 September 2010, the MoD announced that the Ocelot would replace the Snatch
Land Rover, the previous LPPV, which has received criticism for its lack of
protection against roadside bombs. The MoD has renamed the vehicle Foxhound in
line with the "dog" names given to other wheeled armoured vehicles in British
use, such as Mastiff and Ridgeback. The original order was for 300 vehicles at a
cost of £270m, with another 25 ordered in 2012 at a cost of £30m.
On 17 June 2012, it was announced by the MoD that the Foxhound had been delivered
to Afghanistan and was undergoing final tests and evaluation before being
deployed on operations. On 18 January 2015, Defense News
reported that General Dynamics was offering Ocelot to Canada as a
replacement for its special forces Humvees.
Similar Vehicles The South African Casspir was the
original V-shape hull personnel carrier. Vehicles similar to Foxhound, but
larger, which are manufactured by Force Protection include the Cougar and the
Buffalo. Force Protection is one of several
producers for MRAP vehicles. Others include
Thales Australia with vehicles like the Bushmaster and the Hawkei
BAE Systems with vehicles like the Caiman
Navistar International, with vehicles like the MaxxPro
Supacat with vehicles like the Supacat Protected Vehicle 400 series
Oshkosh L-ATV Awarded U.S. military's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV
requirement in August 2015 Humvee Protected current generation
models only Pindad Komodo
IVECO VTMM Orso References
External links Technical data sheet and pictures
Foxhound LPPV Foxhound LPPV