More upgraded Armoured Personnel Carriers for the Army

The vehicles are additional to upgrades to 500 vehicles already on contract. The FV430 weighs 13 tonnes in its modified form, has a top speed of 44mph and can carry eight infantrymen, who dismount from the vehicle to carry out operations, and a crew of two.

More than 100 of the upgraded vehicles already delivered have been fitted with additional armour and other equipment for service on operations and have proved a major success on operations in Iraq, where they are known as Bulldog vehicles.

British troops and their commanders have praised the Bulldog’s excellent protection, mobility and reliability.

The two upgrade contracts were placed by the Light Armoured Systems Support (LASS) IPT. Colonel John Ogden, LASS IPT leader, said:

"BAE Systems Land Systems and their main subcontractor, ABRO, are working very well together on the first 500 and have already delivered over 200 to the Army to time and to cost.

 "The Mk3, and in particular its up-armoured version Bulldog, has already proved a big hit with the troops and earned high praise in particular from those using it in anger on the streets of Basra.

"They are making full use of its significantly greater mobility, they feel safe in it, and as one senior commander told me, they have the confidence to stand their ground and fight from it when required."

Work on vehicles under the contract option with BAE Systems and ABRO is expected to begin this September and conclude in 2011.