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Force Protection Industries, Inc. in Ladson, SC received a $50.9 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ordering quantity of 79 Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV) and associated manuals, spares, field support, and training. Work will be performed in Ladson, SC (60%) and Charlotte, MI (40%), and work is expected to be complete by May 2007.

This contract is in addition to the 27 Cougars purchased by the Marines for use in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the 122-vehicle all-services order.

Regards,

BUG

Talk about your 'serious' heavy duty 'grocery grabber'...lol

Ok, i'll bite. What is the purpose of that device on the hood?

- Jinx

Ok, i'll bite. What is the purpose of that device on the hood?

My best guess is engine access grills. Most other pics I've seen show what appears to be this shape lying flat on the top of the "hood". It seems pretty clearly to have handles at the outer edges for lifting. I suppose it could also be some kind of wedgie deflection device to protect the windshield area, but that's a distant second guess...

www.marcorsyscom.usmc....cougar.asp

Also, the ForceProtection website has some good photos, though they're a little cagey about views from the top. (Click on the small pics to enlarge)
www.forceprotection.ne...ls/cougar/

I would think its a hinged bar armor for the windshield/cab area for deflexting RPG projectiles/blast when engaging an attack from the front.

- oldtop

I would think its a hinged bar armor for the windshield/cab area for deflexting RPG projectiles/blast when engaging an attack from the front.

Lets not get carried away here... Its purely the grills over the engine. They normally lay flat when moving.

Incidentally they are only fitted to the Cougar-H & Cougar HEV

I agree with Jim, it's only the engine grilles..........below an image of the 6x6 version............



Regards,

BUG

Well I thought it was a fair guess what the grills were for, however after going to Camp Lejeune and the engineering compound (I drive by it every time I go to the exchange) and having a look-see yup its the cooling air exhaust grills. they had to put them up on top because of the engine compartment belly armor.

- JimWeb

Lets not get carried away here... Its purely the grills over the engine. They normally lay flat when moving.

And what's the fun if we don't get carried away

We haven't had a 'Green Tiger in North Africa' or 'The Sherman was a piece of S%&t' bruhaha in a long time.

I'll admit when I first looked at it I wondered what they were. I figured maybe they were some kind of blast deflector since it was an EOD vehicle. But open engine covers makes more sense

Saw a short piece on Fox News last night that featured this vehicle. You could clearly see the hood grilles.

- JimWeb

- oldtop

I would think its a hinged bar armor for the windshield/cab area for deflexting RPG projectiles/blast when engaging an attack from the front.

Lets not get carried away here... Its purely the grills over the engine. They normally lay flat when moving.

Incidentally they are only fitted to the Cougar-H & Cougar HEV

Ok, thank you. A closer look revealed the hinges at the bottom, and now it all makes sense.

(Certainly makes it easier to see where you're going if those aren't sticking up when you're driving!)