Three UK companies secure Ministry of Defence Cougar contract

A trio of leading UK-based and owned defence sector players, led by Morgan Advanced Materials and including Ricardo and Ultra Electronics, has clinched a prestigious contract to support and develop the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Cougar family of protected patrol vehicles.

The Cougar Post-Design Service (PDS) program which covers the Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound vehicles fleets is set to be worth up to £20 million over the first two years and could be extended for as long as seven years in total.

The program will see the three companies deliver an annual service contract, with a team of experts on hand around the clock to provide technical and project management services to successfully manage and support the in-service Cougar family vehicle fleet.

The team won the bid against strong competition by best meeting the key criteria specified by the MoD such as quality, software, safety, environmental impact and vehicle integration, as well as the ability to provide a truly sustainable support solution.

The contract will cover a fleet of more than 600 vehicles, comprising in excess of 20 variants.

UK Defence Minister Philip Dunne said: “As we bring our battle winning vehicles back from Afghanistan our focus turns to how best we benefit from these life-saving assets in decades to come. Our Cougar, Mastiff, Ridgback and Wolfhound fleet, comprising of over 600 vehicles, have proven themselves time and again on operations and will now support a more efficient Army.”