UK military orders 600 armored vehicles

The UK’s Ministry of Defense has announced plans to purchase 589 Scout Specialist Vehicles in a deal worth £3.5 billion.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday that the deal with major arms maker General Dynamics, which will be signed in Caerphilly County, would boost British security and “underpin” many jobs.

Kevin Connell, the vice president of General Dynamics UK, who runs the Scout SV program, said, “We have a really talented workforce of more than 200 and we expect down the line when we start production for that to grow even further.”

Cameron further noted the Scout deal would be the army’s largest single order for armored vehicles in more than 30 years.

“These new vehicles are testament to the world-class engineering skills in south Wales and across the UK, helping to create the Army’s first fully digitalized armored vehicles,” said the British premier.

“Not only will they be crucial in helping to keep Britain safe, they will also underpin nearly 1,300 jobs across the UK and showcase the strength of the UK’s highly skilled defense sector,” he added.

At the two-day NATO summit in Newport, which is due to commence on Thursday, Britain plans to urge increased defense spending by some of the military organization’s 28 member states.

The MoD said the hi-tech Scout vehicles would be the army’s “eyes and ears” on the battlefields of the future.

The delivery of the first Scout vehicles is expected in 2017, with a brigade ready to deploy by the end of 2020.

MFB/HJL