IAV 2025: GDLS preparing Mk 2 C2 Foxhound variant, soon to finish Mk 1 conversions

A General Dynamics Land Systems Mk 1 command-and-control variant of its Foxhound armoured tactical vehicle, converted for the British Army and seen at the International Armoured Vehicles 2025 conference. (Janes/Tom Barton)

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is readying a Mk 2 version of its Foxhound command-and-control (C2) vehicle, to pitch for the British Army's land mobility programme (LMP), the company told Janes at Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2025 conference, held in Farnborough, UK, from 21 to 23 January.

Among the features GDLS is developing for the vehicle is onboard/offboard electrical power generation, making the vehicle a hybrid. A generator will be built-in, providing 30 kW of continuous power and giving the option of electrically powered brakes and steering, said Graham Reid, engineer on the Foxhound line for GDLS UK.

Also new to the Mk 2 is an updated electric vehicle architecture building on the driver and commander screens available in the Mk 1 and allowing easier set-up of additional sensors.

“We're looking to build technical demonstrators soon,” Reid added, noting that GDLS will allow the Mk 1 fleet to be retrofitted with Mk 2 innovations.

C2 conversions

The delivery of 50 existing Foxhound light protected patrol vehicles (LPPVs) converted for a C2 role, under a November 2023 contract, will be complete in March, said GDLS.

Both Mk 1 and 2 will feature General Dynamics UK's (GDUK's) Bowman ComBAT Infrastructure and Platform (BCIP) 5.6, the British Army's current tactical communication system.

The converted vehicles have been fitted with enhanced high-frequency (HF), very-high-frequency (VHF), and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) capabilities to enable the operation of Bowman data terminals.

The company has an interest in export for the vehicle.

For more information, please see British Army's Foxhound Command vehicle undergoes field tests