(2) what weapon systems have been added to the Mastiff vehicle;
(3) how the (a) first and (b) subsequent Mastiff vehicles were delivered to theatre;
(4) what the (a) cost of the Cougar vehicle ex-USA is before being adapted in the UK to become the Mastiff and (b) final cost of the Mastiff is in its ready for theatre state.
Each Mastiff has been fitted with a general purpose machine gun, and either a heavy machine gun or a grenade machine gun.
All Mastiff vehicles were delivered to theatre by air. Based on the planned technical specifications we have for A400M, it will be able to carry the Mastiff vehicle.
I am withholding the cost of a Cougar vehicle as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 14 November 2007, Official Report, column 258W, about the cost of conversion to a Mastiff.
(2) how many armoured vehicles of each type are (a) available to be deployed immediately, (b) undergoing repair, (c) undergoing Bowman conversion, (d) in storage and (e) being used for training purposes.
The information is shown in the following table as at January 2008.
Vehicle PDT requirement Routine maintenance and under repair Bowman conversion Storage Used for training CR2 4 19 10 76 226 WR 32 109 28 16 514 CVR (T) 46 306 33 9 775 Saxon 0 18 0 67 18 Mastiff 76 1 0 0 18 Bulldog 17 129 31 0 168 Vector 33 0 0 0 33 Viking 15 12 0 0 20
Sufficient numbers of vehicles are available to meet pre-deployment training (PDT) demands.
I am withholding the information on the numbers of vehicles available for deployment as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.