Army's new dogs of war

By rlee

Vehicles helping to save soldiers' lives on the front line in Afghanistan were unveiled in Leconfield yesterday.

The Mail was at the Defence School of Transport, near Beverley, to see the Ridgback and the Mastiff 2, which have been described as "the most protective vehicles on the planet for the circumstances in Afghanistan".

The first batch of more than 300 are now in operational use.

It follows the Mail's Troops In Peril campaign, launched in 2007, which called for the Ministry of Defence to replace poorly-protected Snatch Land Rovers.

The campaign came after the death of several soldiers, including Private Luke Simpson, 21, of Howden, who was killed while driving a Snatch Land Rover in Basra, Iraq, when a string of roadside bombs detonated.

Each Ridgback costs £1.2m and is the 4x4 version of the Mastiff 6x6, which costs £1.5m.

The Ridgback is designed for urban areas, where access for the larger Mastiff is restricted.

Major Alan Paramore, of the Defence Equipment and Support organisation involved in the project, said: "There are Snatch Land Rovers being used because, ultimately, the commander on the ground has to make the decision on the best vehicle to use on the mission.

"If you're going down tiny back alleys in downtown Kandahar, you can't go in a Mastiff.

"Hopefully, the Ridgback addresses the issues and I would like the main vehicles in Afghanistan to be the Mastiff and Ridgback."

The Mastiff 1 has already been in battle in Afghanistan.

Improvements to the latest model include better axles and suspension and more protection on impact.

Defence School of Transport Camp Commandant Colonel Paul Brook said: "These are the vehicles that are being used in Afghanistan to keep our soldiers, sailors and airmen protected, so they can go about their duties without being blown up by a roadside bomb.

"They are the most protective vehicles for the circumstances we find in Afghanistan. We've had some feedback from Mastiff 2s that have been involved in incidents and they've survived brilliantly.