Visitors to the Force Protection stand at the ongoing DSEi Exhibition (London, 13- 16 September 2011) can see how a modular approach to protected patrol vehicle design will provide militaries around the world with unprecedented levels of operational flexibility.

The vehicle that demonstrates this capability is the Ocelot Light Protected Patrol Vehicle from Force Protection Europe, which will be entering service with UK MOD in 2012 under the name Foxhound. One of the stars of DSEi 2011, Ocelot will be seen with the pods that enable the vehicle to be adapted within two hours to command & control, utility and weapons variants, providing commanders with multiple options from a standard protected chassis. Ocelot combines this adaptability with outstanding levels of maneuverability, maintainability and protection.

In the protected patrol variant crew and passengers sit inside a protective pod made of advanced composite materials incorporating Formula 1 racing technology; while beneath them critical components such as the engine, fuel tank and transmission are contained in a V-shaped armored spine that deflects a blast away from the vehicle. The vehicle, which has gone from a clean sheet design to production in a little over two years, has successfully undergone more than 50 physical blast tests.

Ocelot is attracting worldwide interest and Force Protection is one of three companies selected for consideration to undertake the next phase of the Australian Government’s Land 121 program. The Land 121 contract is for the production of up to 1,300 vehicles valued at more than $A1 billion by the Australian Government.

David Hind, Managing Director of Force Protection Europe, said, “Ocelot will enable militaries to rationalize their fleets in a way that enhances, rather than limits, operational capabilities. It is the right vehicle at the right time for operators that have to reconcile the need for multi-mission capability with financially constrained budgets.”