Force Protection Europe Rolls Out Ocelot Vehicle at DSEI
LADSON, S.C.--Force Protection Europe, Limited – a wholly owned subsidiary of Force Protection Industries, Inc., today debuted a new class of light protected patrol vehicle, the Ocelot, at the Defense Systems and Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London. The Ocelot was designed specifically to meet the requirements for the UK’s Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) program.
Reliability, adaptability and protection levels similar to the renowned Force Protection Mastiff are all traits of the Ocelot, which has been designed by Force Protection Europe and Ricardo plc, a UK based automotive engineering company.
“By designing from a clean sheet we have adopted a novel design which is a complete departure from the standard practice of basing mine resistant vehicles on a standard chassis design,” said David Hind, Managing Director of Force Protection Europe. “We are confident that the design of Ocelot means it not only meets today’s blast resistance requirements but those expected in the future. Ocelot exceeds the required mine protection level set for the UK MoD Light Protected Patrol Vehicle, while still meeting the targets for mobility, payload, size and gross vehicle weight.”
David Hind said, “The expertise of Ricardo in designing and optimising vehicles and Force Protection’s expertise in survivability solutions has resulted in what we believe will be the premier mine resistant vehicle needed to protect troops in theatres such as Afghanistan. Ocelot’s independent suspension system offers excellent mobility over rough terrain.”
Based on a modular design with a core automotive armored spine or “skateboard” the vehicle has a composite special-to-role pod. These roles include patrol and fire support or protected logistics vehicle, while the pod can easily be changed in the field as the need requires.
The composite pod has been designed to be interchangeable. In the patrol vehicle there is seating for two crew and four dismounts. Access to the vehicle is through large rear doors, two top hatches or if required an oversize commander’s door. The V-shape design results in the running gear not intruding into the crew area making movement from front to back easy and also reducing the threat to the occupants in the event of an attack. Bulkheads between vehicle crew and dismounts and between them and the vehicle electronic equipment such as radios and electronic counter measures give added protection.
Ocelot is a 71/2 ton vehicle which can be transported in a C-130 or under a Chinook. It has four wheel steering giving it a market leading turning circle of 39 feet and has a low center of gravity as all the heavy items are contained within the skateboard. It is 17 feet long, 8 feet high and 7 feet wide.
Michael Moody, Chief Executive Officer of Force Protection, commented, “Ocelot is an entirely new class of vehicle. Force Protection and Ricardo have worked together to design a vehicle built specifically in response to the requirements of the UK LPPV program. However, we believe that there are opportunities for lighter, highly mobile vehicles that provide MRAP levels of protection both in the United States military as well as internationally.”
About Force Protection Europe Limited
Force Protection Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary of Force Protection Industries, Inc., a leading provider of survivability solutions. Force Protection’s Cougar MPRAP vehicles, in service with the British Army as Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound, are acknowledged globally as providing the highest levels of blast protection. Force Protection Europe has been established to create a UK leader in the provision and sustainment of survivability solutions based on tactical wheeled vehicles, including the innovative new lightweight mine resistant vehicle, Ocelot.
About Force Protection, Inc.
Force Protection, Inc. is a leading American designer, developer and manufacturer of survivability solutions, predominantly blast- and ballistic-protected wheeled vehicles currently deployed by the U.S. military and its allies to support armed forces and security personnel in conflict zones. The Company’s specialty vehicles, the Cougar, the Buffalo and the Cheetah, are designed specifically for reconnaissance and urban operations and to protect their occupants from landmines, hostile fire, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs, commonly referred to as roadside bombs). The Company also is the developer and manufacturer of ForceArmor™, an armor package providing superior protection against explosively formed projectiles (EFPs), now available for a wide range of tactical-wheeled vehicles. The Company is one of the original developers and primary providers of vehicles for the U.S. military’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle program. For more information on Force Protection and its vehicles, visit www.forceprotection.net.
About Ricardo, plc
With technical centres and offices in the UK, USA, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, India and Korea, Ricardo is a leading independent technology provider and strategic consultant to the world’s transportation sector and clean energy industries. The company’s engineering expertise ranges from vehicle systems integration, controls, electronics and software development, to the latest driveline and transmission systems and gasoline, diesel, hybrid and fuel cell power train technologies, as well as wind energy and tidal power systems. Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge; approximately 70 per cent of its employees are highly qualified multi-disciplined professional engineers and technicians. A public company, Ricardo plc posted sales of £197.7 million in financial year 2008 and is a constituent of the FTSE techMark 100 index – a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.ricardo.com.
Force Protection, Inc. Safe Harbor Language
This press release contains forward looking statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations. These statements are based on beliefs and assumptions of Force Protection’s management, and on information currently available to management. These forward looking statements include, among other things: the growth and demand for Force Protection’s vehicles, including the Buffalo vehicle; the rate at which the Company will be able to produce these vehicles; its expected work completion dates for the vehicles and the ability to meet current and future requirements; and the Company’s expected financial and operating results, including its revenues and cash flow, for future periods. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Examples of these factors include, but are not limited to, the ability to effectively manage the risks in the Company’s business; the ability to develop new technologies and products and the acceptance of these technologies and products; the ability to obtain and complete new orders for its vehicles and products; the Company’s ability to identify and remedy its internal control weaknesses and deficiencies; and other risk factors and cautionary statements listed in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as updated in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009.
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