Marine Corps Cougar Humvee Dodge Bombs in Iraq

A three letter abbreviation that’s becoming synonymous with the Iraq War is IDE. Improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action.The Navy recently pressed for new out-of-the-box technologies that could predict where IED bombs will explode, now the Marines have just ordered 1000 mine resistant, ambush-protected vehicle (MRAP’s) to further save lives on the streets of Iraq.

The Cougar (known in the United Kingdom as “Tempest”, and previously it seems in the US as “Lion” and “Typhoon”), is designed to withstand a 30-pound blast of TNT to either the front or rear axles as well as a 15-pound blast to the center portion of the vehicle. The Cougar Hardened Engineer Vehicle, until 2002 marketed as the Lion, can be configured to complete a wide variety of mission requirements. The new HEV can serve as a mine-proof troop transport vehicle, a law enforcement special response vehicle, a weapons platform, or an escort protection vehicle.

The $490 million contract, which will be the biggest order for MRAP’s so far, calls for 300 Cougar 4 x 4s and 700 of the larger, six-wheeled Cougar 6 x 6s. Whilst no vehicle is completely safe from an IDE the Cougar is better armored than the Humvee and features a V-shaped undercarriage that partially redirects explosive blasts around the vehicle. The Marines field-tested various mine-resistant vehicles before settling on the Cougar. In 2006 this Cougar RG-31 suffered a direct IED hit, but none of the crew were killed.

The Cougar 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 models both have 330-hp diesels, top speeds of 65 mph, a 600-mile range, and seating for 10. The 6 x 6 can haul 14,000 pounds, nearly triple the 4 x 4 max load. Cougar, developed and produced by Force Protection Inc. is a multi-purpose, 12 ton mine protected armored patrol vehicle. The design uses a monocoque, bulletproof and blast-proof capsule fitted with transparent armored glass, which protects the driver and crew from small arms fire, mine blasts and IED.

Typical roles for the vehicle are armored, mine protected troop transport for security, stability and peacekeeping missions, protected weapons platform, law enforcement special response vehicle, counter IED an EOD / Range Clearance vehicle. The vehicle can accommodate 10 passengers in a 4×4 configuration and 16 passengers in a 6×6 configuration. Cougar was selected to serve with the US Marine Corps as a Hardened Engineer Vehicle (HEV), to support engineer mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal teams deployed in Iraq.

As of June 2006, there are more than 130 Cougars and Buffalos in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since their deployment to Iraq in 2003 the Cougar and Buffalo vehicles employed with explosive ordnance disposal teams and engineers units have taken about 1,000 IED hits without a loss of life, said Wayne Phillips, a company vice president in charge of Marine Corps programs. The vehicle has proven to be superior to less protected vehicles, such as the up-armored Humvee or armored trucks.

Bigger plans to order more MRAP’s are still caught up in political controversy however the Pentagon hopes to eventually deploy a total of 7774 MRAPs at the total cost of 8.4 billion dollars. A small price to pay for the lives of our Troops on the streets of Iraq.

Defense Technology on the H Series Cougar Armord Truck