General Dynamics [GD] Land Systems yesterday said it has received a $73.6 million award for an additional 51 Foxhound vehicles from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense for the British Army.
The work will be performed in the United Kingdom by General Dynamics Land Systems–Force Protection Europe.
This award takes the total fleet of Foxhound awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection Europe to 376 vehicles (Defense Daily, June 19, Aug. 27).
The Foxhound provides vital mine and blast protection in a lighter-weight tactical 4×4 vehicle that has been designed for use in urban environments.
The Foxhound was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2012 and is now being used by British troops operating in mentoring and partnering roles with the Afghan National Security Forces.
U.K. Defense Minister Philip Dunn revealed the award during a visit to General Dynamics Land–Force Protection Europe’s spares facility in Telford where he met with employees and local supply chain partners.
“I was pleased to meet with employees at General Dynamics – Force Protection who have helped make Foxhound a real procurement success story, taking only 40 months to develop it from the initial design to deployment in Afghanistan,” Dunn 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.
David Hind, managing director of General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection Europe, said: “Foxhound provides unprecedented levels of mine and blast protection for a vehicle in its weight class and with its modular design is a revolutionary capability that will be a key capability for the British Army in the future. The order will sustain a considerable number of jobs in the U.K., many with vital small to medium enterprises who have brought real innovation to the program.”