Poland to procure 300 second-hand US Cougar MRAP vehicles.

According to a Tweet published by the Polish Ministry of Defense on November 10, 2021, the Polish Army will procure 300 second-hand MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) Cougar 4x4 vehicles from the United States.
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Cougar 4x4 MRAP Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. (Picture source www.net-maquettes.com)

According to the Tweet, the contract will benefit from an accelerated delivery procedure allowing the Cougar MRAP vehicles to be put into service within the Polish army for 2022. The MRAP is a family of 4x4 and 6x6 wheeled combat vehicles designed to provide increased crew protection and vehicle survivability against current battlefield threats, such as IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) , mines, and small arms.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated the MRAP program in response to an urgent operational need to meet multi-Service ground vehicle requirements. MRAP vehicles provide improved vehicle and crew survivability over the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) and are employed by units in Afghanistan and Iraq in the execution of missions previously executed with the HMMWV Humvee 4x4 light tactical vehicle.

The Cougar MRAP vehicle is based on a monocoque V-shaped chassis providing a high level of protection against the blast of TNT explosion. The Cougar MRAP in 4x4 configuration is capable to transport five crew members and one gunner while the 6x6 variant can carry nine military personnel and one gunner.

The Cougar MRAP can be fitted with an open-top turret that can be armed with one 12.7mm heavy machine gun or one 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The vehicle is powered by a Caterpillar C-7 Diesel I6 engine developing 330 hp coupled to an automatic transmission Allison 3500SP. It can run at a maximum speed of 105 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 966 km.