British army soldiers start training program with the new Foxhound vehicle in Afghanistan 0707121

British Army crews and commanders are training with the new Foxhound vehicles at Camp Bastion before the platform heads outside the wire. Report by Richard Long. Foxhound, the Army's state-of-the-art light protected patrol vehicle, arrived in Helmand province last month. At Camp Bastion, soldiers from a variety of cap badges are engaged in training programmes to get to grips with the beast.

The cutting-edge technology incorporated in the design means soldiers will benefit from unprecedented blast protection and counter-IED (improvised explosive device) equipment, while the size and agility of the asset will allow it to excel in urban environments.

The new addition has impressed in a series of demanding trials and, with driver-testing now well underway, this dynamic machine is preparing to flex its muscles for real.

Former serviceman Ricky Haynes is the Defence School of Transport's Foxhound training team line manager. He said the patrol vehicle has performed superbly thus far, and that British Army personnel will receive a huge capability boost from its introduction to theatre:

"This platform will have a multitude of roles but initially it will be used for force protection out on the ground," he said.

"It is replacing some of the more vulnerable vehicles and those that have been removed from Helmand province.

"It is designed for an urban environment and has a four-wheel steer. It is proving to be very reliable. We have done trials in hot weather and extreme conditions and it has excelled.

"The V-shaped hull is similar to that of the Mastiff, and it offers increased protection as it throws the force of any blast wide of the vehicle.

"We brought some platforms out three weeks ago for light and extreme heat testing, as well as slow-speed trials to see how it reacts with the pace of foot patrols.

"The in-theatre standard has been extremely high and we are very confident it will perform well outside the wire."