By Courtney E. Howard

LADSON, S.C.—Representatives of Force Protection Industries Inc. in Ladson, S.C., together with officials from the U.S. government and the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), rolled out the first five Ridgback armored combat vehicles.

The Ridgback, developed specifically for the British MOD, is considered to be comparable to Force Protection’s Cougar 4x4 vehicle.

The company’s Cougar is for reconnaissance, forward command and control, and urban operations, as well as to protect occupants from land mines, hostile fire, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The British Ministry of Defence has used the Cougar 6x6 (Mastiff) since late 2006, but this occasion marks the first Ridgback delivery to the United Kingdom. The British Ministry of Defence has ordered 157 Ridgback vehicles, having a total cost of roughly $94 million.

“The delivery of the first five Ridgback vehicles represents an important step in our continuing efforts to provide critical protection for the British forces,” says Michael Moody, chief executive officer of Force Protection Inc. The company delivered these first Ridgback vehicles one October ahead of schedule.

Force Protection is an American designer, developer, and manufacturer of ballistic- and blast-protected wheeled vehicles that are currently deployed by the U.S. military and its allies, and which support armed forces and security personnel in conflict zones.

For more information, visit Force Protection Inc. online at www.forceprotection.net.