WINDSOR, England, April 3 (UPI) -- A team of three British companies have won a Ministry of Defense contract to support and develop the military’s Cougar family of patrol vehicles.
Under the two-year award, Morgan Advanced Materials, Composites & Defense Systems, vehicle-maker Ricardo, and Ultra Electronics will provide technical and project management services to successfully manage and support the in-service Cougar family vehicle fleet, including Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound.
Services will include optimizing vehicle safety, configuration management, legal compliance and standardization of the component supply chain for the vehicles.
The Cougar Post-Design Service program is worth $33.2 million over the base performance period. The contract contains provisions for its extension to seven years.
The contract covers about 600 vehicles in more than 20 variants.
Morgan Advanced Materials, Composites & Defense Systems said the team won the bid meeting the key criteria specified by the ministry, included quality, software, safety, environmental impact and vehicle integration.
“As we bring our battle-winning vehicles back from Afghanistan our focus turns to how best we benefit from these life-saving assets in decades to come,” said Defense Minister Philip Dunne. “Our Cougar, Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound fleet … have proven themselves time and again on operations and will now support a more efficient Army.
“This investment … will not only ensure our vehicles are adapted to their new roles, but will sustain the livelihoods of highly-skilled employees at three British-based Defense companies.”
