Development
Technical Solutions was building a new type of mine-resistant vehicle based on South African vehicles. Technical Solutions was purchased in 2002 by Sonic Jet and the combined company renamed itself Force Protection. The Cougar was designed in 2004 by a small team at Force Protection, Inc. in the US in response to an urgent requirement by the US Marine Corps. Contrary to common belief, this was not a South African vehicle but rather a new design developed in the US based on an evolution of vehicle mine-protection technology used by the UK, Rhodesian and South African forces from the 1950s. The rapid development and production followed a USMC request that the first vehicle be delivered within 6 months of an order.
Some 4,000 of these vehicles will have been fielded under the US military's MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) and other vehicle programs. US Defense secretary Robert Gates demanded that the vehicles be ordered in larger numbers after the Marines reported in 2004 that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars. Since then, Cougar vehicles have been hit by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) many times in Iraq with few fatalities. Britain chose the Cougar over the RG-31 Nyala for their "Mastiff" APV.
The Pentagon has future plans to add the Crows II remote weapon station and the Frag Kit 6 anti-EFP armor.
Read more about this topic: Cougar (vehicle)
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