The American 4×4 Cougar H & 6×6 Cougar HE MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) were among the first of the MRAPs to enter US service.
Developed by the US Firm Force Protection Inc (The company was acquired by General Dynamics in 2011) in 2004, the chassis is manufactured by Spartan Motors and then sent to Force Protection Inc who complete the rest of the vehicle construction. The vehicles famous impeccable crew survivability rate, is due to not only is blast deflective v-shape hull bottom, but its classified armour, which gives protection against 50cal. MG fire and against 155mm HE Projectiles often used by many insurgents as weapon of choice in an IED attack.
The American Cougar 4×4 & 6×6 Mine Protected Vehicle configurations –
4×4 AKA Cougar H (Category 1 MRAP)
Weight Curb – 14.5 tonne
Gross max – 17.2 tonne
Length – 19.41 ft (5.91m)
Width – 9.0 ft (2.74m)
Height – 8.67 ft (2.64m)
Crew – 2 + 4 troops
Armour – Classified
Primary (Optional) armament – remote weapon station (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System II)
Secondary (Optional) armament – firing ports for troops in rear
Engine – Caterpillar C-7 Diesel I6, generates 330hp (243 kW)
Payload capacity – 2.72 tonne
Transmission – Allison 3500SP automatic
Suspension – 4×4 wheeled
Ground clearance – 15″ (410mm)
Operational range – 600 miles (966 km)
Top Speed – 65 mph (105 km/h)
The Cougar ISS (New Vehicle)
Based on the Cougar® 4X4, the ISS is fitted with a new, integrated independent suspension system that gives the Cougar® ISS increased cross-country mobility in even the most demanding environments. Even in the heaviest load configurations, it matches well with the most severe mission profiles. With its four-man crew compartment and scalable protection, it can be used for the same missions as the 4×4, all while extending the effectiveness of the warfighter.
6×6 Cougar HE (Category 2 MRAP)
Weight Curb – 19.0 tonne
Gross max – 24.5 tonne
Length – 23.25 ft (7.08m)
Width – 9.0 ft (2.74m)
Height – 8.67 ft (2.64m)
Crew – 2 + 10 troops
Armor – Classified
Primary (Optional) armament – remote weapon station (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System II)
Secondary (Optional) armament – firing ports for troops in rear
Engine – Caterpillar C-7 Diesel I6, generates 330hp (243 kW)
Payload capacity – 5.90 tonne
Transmission – Allison 3500SP automatic
Suspension – 6×6 wheeled
Ground clearance – 15″ (410 mm)
Operational range – 600 miles (966 km)
Top Speed – 65 mph (105 km/h)
The Cougar (in both configurations) serves in the US Army as The Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle (JERRV). The 4×4 is used as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) variant and the 6×6 as the engineer variant, which is equipped with either mine rollers or ploughs.
JERRV is designed for missions including convoy lead, troop transport, ambulance, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering. Its large internal volume allows the vehicles to carry specialised engineering and disposal equipment such as a robots.
The American 4×4 Cougar H & 6×6 Cougar HE MRAP Operators –
Canada – 40 Cougar 4×4.
Hungary – 3 Cougar bought, possibly more will follow.
Croatia – 4+ US Army donated several Cougars to the Croatian Army ISF contingent in Afghanistan.
Poland – 40 on loan from the US.
United States – Blackwater / US Army / US Navy / US Marine Corps / US Air Force (Cougar 6×6 – 950 vehicles ordered by 2007 / Cougar 4×4 – 1560 vehicles ordered).
United Kingdom – Modified both 4×4 & 6×6 to Mastiff, Wolfhound and Ridgback. Please see UK section on menu page.
The American 4×4 Cougar H & 6×6 Cougar HE MRAP Future
With the end of the Iraq War and the drawdown of the War in Afghanistan, there was some question as to what to do with MRAPs, as they were designed specifically for asymmetric warfare. The Army decided they would keep them in some sort of service post-war. Of the approximately 20,000 MRAPs in service, 30 percent (6,000) will stay in brigade combat teams as troop transports and route clearance vehicles, 10 percent (2,000) will be used for training, and 60 percent (12,000) will go into storage.
As the vast amount of MRAPs are over seas, bringing them back to America will be expensive just to store them. It financially makes sense for them to be sold as surplus vehicles to other countries, which is a process all ready started and therefore will see the numbers of Cougars operated outside of the USA increase in the future.