Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: New Peacekeeping Vehicle?:
"Critics contend that the military needs fast, well-protected armored cars like those used by many foreign armies for low-intensity conflicts such as those in Iraq. Heavily armored track vehicles are too slow, but neither is the current crop of wheeled vehicles well suited to the job of peacekeeping. That's because armored Humvees have limited visibility and Strykers may be under-armored and cost 10 times more than Humvees, says Christopher Lamb, a senior research fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Marines may just have the perfect peacekeeper, however, although they're not calling it that. The Cougar looks like an oversized armored truck and is designed to be used by explosives disposal teams in Iraq. It comes in two versions: one seats four, and the other seats 12. The truck is encased in thick steel and bulletproof glass for better visibility, and the crew capsule has an angular shape that deflects blast energy away from the vehicle. The vehicle also has roof hatches and weapons ports for returning fire. The first Cougars are due to arrive in Iraq in September. Unfortunately, there will be too few of them. The Marines have ordered only 27 Cougars for explosives disposal work, but Garth Barrett, president and chief technology officer of the company that makes the vehicle, Tactical Solutions Group, of Ladson, S.C., says he expects the vehicle to be used by the army and marines as an armored personnel carrier in the near future."
"Critics contend that the military needs fast, well-protected armored cars like those used by many foreign armies for low-intensity conflicts such as those in Iraq. Heavily armored track vehicles are too slow, but neither is the current crop of wheeled vehicles well suited to the job of peacekeeping. That's because armored Humvees have limited visibility and Strykers may be under-armored and cost 10 times more than Humvees, says Christopher Lamb, a senior research fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Marines may just have the perfect peacekeeper, however, although they're not calling it that. The Cougar looks like an oversized armored truck and is designed to be used by explosives disposal teams in Iraq. It comes in two versions: one seats four, and the other seats 12. The truck is encased in thick steel and bulletproof glass for better visibility, and the crew capsule has an angular shape that deflects blast energy away from the vehicle. The vehicle also has roof hatches and weapons ports for returning fire. The first Cougars are due to arrive in Iraq in September. Unfortunately, there will be too few of them. The Marines have ordered only 27 Cougars for explosives disposal work, but Garth Barrett, president and chief technology officer of the company that makes the vehicle, Tactical Solutions Group, of Ladson, S.C., says he expects the vehicle to be used by the army and marines as an armored personnel carrier in the near future."
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