British Wolfhound armored cars in Ukraine
Wolfhound in training
In early April, the UK promised to transfer to Ukraine a large number of several types of armored vehicles from its storage bases. To date, some of the required armored vehicles have been reactivated and sent to Ukraine. One of the first to the new owners were protected Wolfhound trucks. The Ukrainian army has already begun to master them and use them in training events.
Help with armored cars
In early April, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid an official visit to Kyiv. After the trip was over, it was announced that the British side would provide the Kyiv regime with additional military-technical assistance. At that time, it was about several types of ground armored vehicles and some missile weapons.
According to British media, in April it was planned to provide 120 armored vehicles of the Mastiff, Wolfhound, Husky types and Spartan armored personnel carriers as assistance. These machines were previously in service with the British army, but a few years ago they were put into reserve as unnecessary. Now it was proposed to reactivate unnecessary equipment and transfer it to an ally. In this case, the armored cars will be given without means of communication and standard weapons.
In the following weeks, the topic of supplying British armored cars faded into the background and was hardly discussed. However, information appeared in the British media about a possible reduction in supply volumes. For unspecified reasons, only 80 armored cars were planned to be sent to Ukraine - a third less than previously reported. The progress of work on the preparation of equipment was not disclosed.
Regular anti-cumulative protection and improvised sandbags
Just the other day it became known that the British side had carried out all the necessary procedures and had already shipped the first armored cars to the recipient. A short video has appeared on Ukrainian resources showing the teachings of one of the army units. To increase mobility and other indicators, Wolfhound armored cars were handed over to him.
On the published video, two armored cars enter the frame at the same time. Machines as a whole remain in the original "British" configuration. At the same time, some elements of regular booking were supplemented with sandbags. Judging by what is shown, protected trucks are planned to be used as "gantraks".
It can be assumed that these are one of the first Wolfhound armored cars in Ukraine, and in the near future their number will increase. In addition, unified Mastiff and other vehicles will be delivered in parallel. This means that British technology will start to get into the frame more often and in news. In addition, armored cars will soon have to go to the war zone, where they can turn into debris or a trophy.
foreign technology
At the beginning of the 2011s, the American company Force Protection (since XNUMX part of General Dynamics) launched mass production of the Cougar MRAP armored car in several modifications. This technique has interested a number of foreign customers, incl. Great Britain. Soon a major contract appeared for the mass production of three types of armored cars at once, slightly modified according to the requirements of the buyer.
The three-axle version of the Cougar for the British Army received the designation Mastiff PPV (Protected Patrol Vehicle). 450 of these machines were built. Also produced 130 unified armored trucks Wolfhound HTSV (Heavy Tactical Support Vehicle). A two-axle modification of the armored car entered service under the name Ridgback PPV in the amount of 160 units. Deliveries began in the middle of the XNUMXs and continued until the mid-XNUMXs.
The UK ordered new MRAPs for use in overseas operations. Armored cars were actively used in Afghanistan and Iraq and showed acceptable results. However, in the 30s, the political situation changed, and Britain's foreign military activity began to decline. In this regard, part of the available armored cars was withdrawn from the active fleet. So, they sent approx. 70 Mastiffs and XNUMX Wolfhounds.
It was planned to gradually write off the equipment in storage and, if there were customers, sell it abroad. So, in mid-2020, the British Ministry of Defense was ready to sell several hundred MRAPs of all types, incl. American production. Actual deliveries abroad have begun only now, and Ukraine is becoming the recipient of previously decommissioned armored vehicles. It is reported about the possible supply of 80 to 120 units. technology.
Features and capabilities
Cougar, Mastiff, Wolfhound and other vehicles of the family belong to the MRAP class. These are armored vehicles with a number of characteristic features aimed at increasing ballistic and mine protection. Depending on the configuration, such vehicles can carry people or cargo, as well as provide fire support.
Cabin of an armored car
All armored vehicles of the family receive unified two- or three-volume armored hulls. Armor withstands 12,7mm bullets from all angles. Mine protection is designed to undermine 14 kg of TNT under the wheel or 7 kg under the bottom. British armored cars were additionally equipped with a set of lattice screens with a maximum area.
Under the hood is a 7 hp Caterpillar C-330 diesel engine mated to an Allison 3500SP automatic transmission. The transmission provides all-wheel drive. An armored car with a gross weight of up to 22,5-22,7 tons is capable of speeds up to 100-105 km / h. High mass to a certain extent limits off-road and terrain patency.
The Cougar and Mastiff are equipped with a van hull with space for two crew members and eight paratroopers. For landing, side and stern doors are used. The Wolfhound is an armored truck and is therefore equipped with a shortened armored hull. The aft part of the chassis is given over to the cargo area with armored sides.
Armored cars Cougar can carry weapons and combat modules of various types. The British Army preferred partially armored turrets with rifle-caliber machine guns. The Wolfhound and Mastiff being transferred to Ukraine carry M2HB heavy machine guns.
View from the shooter's position
Doubtful prospects
In general, Mastiff and Wolfhound are of great interest to the Ukrainian army. With their help, it will be possible to partially make up for the losses of recent months in protected infantry transport. In addition, this technique shows fairly high performance and, as the experience of past owners shows, it can be used in solving various combat and auxiliary tasks.
Wolfhounds can be used in the original protected truck role. They are also being worked out as “gantrucks” with a large number of shooters on the cargo area. It cannot be ruled out that some vehicles will receive suitable weapons of a larger caliber. Along with this, the "Mastiffs" will be responsible for the transportation and fire support of the infantry. In all cases, a high level of protection will be of great importance.
However, there are a number of serious problems that can offset all the advantages of British armored cars. First of all, these are difficulties in the line of operation. It is quite easy to teach local drivers how to drive a car. At the same time, the organization of full-fledged maintenance and repair on a local basis turns out to be an extremely difficult task. However, with the current level of risks and threats, armored cars may simply not live up to the next scheduled maintenance.
MRAP-class armored vehicles are designed to counter a poorly equipped and armed enemy, which can only be used by infantry weapon and improvised explosive devices. The Ukrainian army is currently being smashed by a much more advanced enemy. Armored cars are threatened by armored vehicles of all classes, artillery of various calibers, rockets, aviation etc.
Shooting over the side
The existing bulletproof, anti-cumulative and mine protection will not save British / Ukrainian armored cars from Russian weapons. At the same time, Wolfhound or Mastif, equipped only with machine guns or, at best, small-caliber artillery, will not be able to defend themselves.
Evil irony
New British military assistance in the form of armored vehicles has only recently begun to arrive in Ukraine, and the local military is still only mastering such equipment in the conditions of rear ranges. How soon the armored cars will go to the front is unknown - but their future is obvious. Like other Ukrainian and foreign weapons and equipment, they will be destroyed or taken as trophies.
In this situation, an evil irony of fate is visible. "Cougar" and its modifications were created in order to reduce the risks in the fight against poorly equipped and trained armed formations. But now the Ukrainian army is playing the role of a backward enemy. And the technology gap is so big that no amount of MRAP will help her.
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