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Defense company’s armored vehicle contract gets richer
By Dennis Quick
Senior Staff Writer
Ladson-based Force Protection Inc. landed a $45.7 million Department of Defense contract in May to produce 71 “Cougars,” heavily armored vehicles designed to withstand blasts from mines and other explosives.
That contract has since grown to $62.2 million and 88 Cougars, due to an increased demand for armored vehicles from the armed forces, which will use them in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $16.5 million contract expansion for an additional 17 Cougars occurred days after Force Protection won the initial contract.
As long as the United States is at war, the Cougar contract could grow, says Force Protection Vice President Michael Aldrich. He adds that Force Protection is the only U.S. manufacturer of these tank-like vehicles.
This increased demand for the Cougars will have a ripple effect on the economy. Local welding and metal fabricating companies seeking to do business with Force Protection are the ones likely to benefit, says Aldrich.
“The contract will double our orders,” says David Orr, branch manager of AirStar of Carolina in North Charleston, which supplies Force Protection with welding supplies and equipment.
Metal Trades Inc., which supplies Force Protection with brake covers, hood and vent assemblies, bumpers, mine-blast deflectors and other parts, could see the number of employees dedicated to supplying Cougar parts double from six to 12, plus an addition $1 million in business, if Force Protection accepts a recent Metal Trades proposal, says Shaun Flynn, Metal Trades’ vice president of operations.
Force Protection, which employed more than 240 workers last month, will hire additional workers to fulfill the Cougar manufacturing demand, Aldrich says. However, he refrained from speculating just how many more workers will be hired.
Force Protection started working on the Cougar contract in May, and the company expects to start shipping Cougars to Iraq and Afghanistan this fall. The company boasts a manufacturing capability of 24 vehicles per month.
A Cougar’s characteristics
Depending on the configuration, the Cougar ranges in length from about 19 feet to 22 feet, is nearly 9 feet wide, weighs between roughly 13 and 16 tons, travels up to about 70 miles per hour, averages about eight miles per gallon of gasoline and carries up to 10 people.
The Cougar is a medium-size vehicle that can be customized for multiple tasks, including troop transport, mine and explosive ordinance disposal, and reconnaissance, according to Force Protection.
“The Cougar has been proven under the most extreme circumstances, transporting troops safely over thousands of kilometers of dangerous roads,” says Force Protection CEO Gordon McGilton.
The Cougar has been deployed with the U.S. Marines since last fall. The new contract, funded by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force, supplies Cougars to the Army, Navy and Air Force in addition to the Marines.
A Cougar’s protection
Since U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are encountering more roadside improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, the military has shown heightened interest in the Cougar and another Force Protection vehicle, the Buffalo, which is designed to clear mines.
The CBS Evening News with Bob Schieffer featured Force Protection and the Buffalo during the network’s May 25 broadcast. In the report, CBS noted that IEDs cause 70% of all U.S. combat deaths. Both the Buffalo and the Cougar are designed to reduce these casualties.
“The increasing demand for our vehicles is great news for our deployed servicemen and women who need this protection against IEDs, land mines and roadside ambushes,” says McGlinton.
In addition to manufacturing the Cougars, Force Protection will provide training on the use and repair of the vehicle, spare parts and technical data.
Dennis Quick is senior staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail him at dquick@crbj.com.
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