According to a statement published by the British Government on January 16, 2023, the United Kingdom had already announced the delivery of Challenger 2 MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) and AS90 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers as well as a hundred combat armored vehicles including the Bulldog, an upgraded version of the tracked APC FV432 (Armored Personnel Carrier).
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The Bulldog is an improved version of the British-made FV432 tracked APC Armored Personnel Carrier. (Picture source Army Recognition)
The UK is already the second largest military donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. British armed forces have trained 27,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015, and in the last year, the UK has provided hundreds of rockets, five air defense systems, 200 armored vehicles, and over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal military equipment.
The new military aid to Ukraine from the British Government will include a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks with armored recovery and repair vehicles, AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzers, and a hundred of more armored vehicles.
UK will donate AS90 guns to Ukraine consisting of a battery of eight guns at high readiness and two further batteries at varying states of readiness.
The UK also announced the donation to Ukraine of a hundred more armored and protected vehicles will also be sent including Bulldog, a tracked APC (Armored Personnel Carrier).
The Bulldog is an upgraded variant of the FV432, a tracked APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) that entered into service with the British army in 1960. The layout of the FV432 is conventional for a tracked APC with the driver sitting at the front of the vehicle on the right side with the engine on its left. The troop compartment is at the rear of the FV432 with 10 (five a side) infantrymen seated on bench seats that run down either side of the hull. The seats are hinged to the lower side plates on either side of the compartment and fold upwards, enabling the vehicle to carry up to 3,670 kg of cargo. The infantrymen enter and leave the vehicle via a large door in the rear of the hull, which opens to the right and is provided with a vision block.
The Bulldog was specially developed in 2007 for the British troops deployed in Iraq.
The Bulldog was upgraded to offer more protection for the crew and infantrymen. Indeed, the vehicle is fitted with explosive reactive armor and electronic countermeasures jammers used to counter IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Some areas of the vehicle are fitted with slat armor for protection against anti-tank rockets. It is claimed that the Bulldog is better protected than the Warrior IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The roof of the vehicle is also fitted with a remotely operated weapon station armed with one 12.7mm heavy machine gun.
The Bulldog was also modernized with a new Diesel engine, drive train and other automotive components offering more cross-country performance, increased top speed, range, and greater reliability. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 72 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 600 km.
The Bulldog is fitted with a new ERA Explosive Reactive Armor offering more protection against anti-tank weapons and IEDs Improvised Explosive Devices. (Picture source Army Recognition)
