The British Cougar vehicles are designated as Mastiff Protected Patrol Vehicles (Mastiff PPV). In August 2006, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed a $63m contract for 86 Cougar EOD vehicles under foreign military sales programme. An additional 200 Cougar JERRVs were ordered by the USMC in November 2006. The US Department of Defence placed a $50m contract in May 2006 for 79 Cougar Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV). The Cougar vehicles were ordered by the US Marine Corps (USMC) in 2004 for deployment in Iraq. The Cougar MRAP vehicle offers protection against direct fire. The Cougar vehicles are optionally equipped with nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection systems. The vehicle can withstand the double TM-57 mine-equivalent explosion under any wheel, and a single explosion under the middle of the vehicle. The V-shaped hull reduces the impact of blasts by directing the blast away from the vehicle.
It features protection against 7.62mm armour-piercing (AP) rounds, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rounds, land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The vehicle can be fitted with a remotely controlled weapon station mounting a 7.62mm machine gun, 12.7mm heavy machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The standard Cougar comes with no armament outfit. The vehicle can accommodate six passengers in 4×4 configuration and ten passengers in the 6×6 configuration. Either side of the troop compartment and all access doors are provided with observation windows. The roof is fitted with a standard hatch. The troop compartment is provided with a double door in the rear of the vehicle.
The driver and commander can enter and exit the vehicle through the doors on either side of the cab. The driver and commander in the cab are protected by two rectangular transparent armoured glass windows.
The conventional layout houses an engine in the front, crew cabin in the middle, and features a troop compartment at the rear. Cougar MRAP design featuresĬougar MRAP vehicles incorporate a monocoque V-shaped chassis mounting bullet-proof and blast-proof body. The Cougar mission variants include Cougar HEV (Hardened Engineer Vehicle), Cougar JERRV (Joint EOD rapid response vehicle), Cougar ISS (independent suspension system), Cougar MRAP, Badger ILAV (Iraqi Light Armoured Vehicle), Ridgback PPV (Protected Patrol Vehicle), Mastiff PPV, Wolfhound heavy tactical support vehicle and Tempest MPV. The Cougar is produced in 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. Cougar armoured vehicles are operated by forces in the United States, Canada, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom.