The Polish armed forces welcomed the first batch of excess United States Cougar mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles in the port of Szczecin on June 20.
The 70 4x4s that were delivered this month form the first shipment of a total of 300 MRAPS that will be delivered to Poland from the US.
As noted by Poland’s defense procurement agency, this delivery is the result of an agreement between the Polish and US governments from December 8, 2021, according to which the US will deliver 300 surplus Cougars to Poland.
Once in Poland, the vehicles will be serviced and adapted to the requirements of the Polish armed forces.
Announcing the arrival of the MRAPs, Poland’s defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak said the vehicles would soon be delivered to military units located in the country’s east.
All 300 MRAPs are expected to be delivered by the end of 2022, according to earlier announcements from Polish officials.
Cougar 4x4s belong to the lightest category of MRAPs, and are designed to perform patrol tasks, convoy duties and transport team weapons. The vehicles have a 330 horse power engine and an automatic transmission. They have been in service with the US Marine Corps since 2004.
The MRAPs provide anti-mine resistance of 7kg of TNT under the hull and 14kg of TNT under the wheel. The maximum speed of the vehicle is between 88 and 105 km/h, with a range of 670km. The permissible total weight (GVW) is 17.2t, while the load capacity is 2.7t. The vehicles transport two crew members and four landing troops.
