By Russell Bruce
EXCLUSIVE
Leaving Edinburgh this evening we happened to see a number of Mastiff 2 Protected Patrol Armored vehicles leaving the bypass and heading for Redford Barracks. These were used in Afghanistan and it is understood they have since been taken out of service and no longer currently required by the British Army. Unlike the photograph above (OGL Open Government License, attribution Andrew Linnet/MOD) the ones we saw coming off the Edinburgh bypass had no identification or number plates. Perhaps they were simply being moved but it is not unreasonable to suppose these might well be intended for Ukraine.
The British Army eventually had 300 Mastiff 2 heavily armored 6 by 6 wheel-drive vehicles. It is suitable for road patrols and convoys. It is one of the most heavily armored vehicles the British Army had. The Mastiff 2 has two variants, as a troop carrier or an ambulance with capacity for 8 people plus a crew of 2.
The Mastiff Protected PPV is based on the US Cougar 6×6. They have a V shaped undercarriage designed to direct any mine explosion outward and away from the vehicle to protect occupants. The external ‘cattle grids’ are to protect the vehicle from shelling. They have a maximum speed of 90kph and were armed with weapons including a 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The latest version was fitted with thermal imaging.
This article was UPDATED Tuesday 16th May 12.35
