Bulgaria receives 25 SandCat vehicles from Plasan

Plasan, a global leader in survivability and combat-proven armor solutions for vehicles, airborne platforms and personal protection, announces the delivery of 25 SandCat vehicles in cooperation with Oshkosh Defense, for the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense. Plasan was awarded this contract December 2008. During a visit to Israel earlier this month, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Bulgarian Minister of Defence Nikolay Mladenov examined the SandCat up close, followed by meetings with their Israeli counterparts: Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak. Mr. Yaron Roded, Director for Marketing and Business Development at Plasan, comments: "The SandCat design fits perfectly into today's peacekeeping and HLS tasks, taking into account the emerging threats while maintaining the required flexibility for off-road and on-road mission profile which are so essential for many armies, police, and SWAT teams world-wide." Earlier this month, Plasan welcomed Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak to its facilities in Kibbutz Sasa. This visit marks an additional award to deliver 79 SandCats specifically designed for the Israeli Border Police Patrol; a contract valued at $14 million. As opposed to vehicles currently in use by IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) such as the Armored HMMWV'e (190hp), Up-armored Storm Jeep (180hp) and Armored Land-rover "David" (122hp) the SandCat is equipped with a 6.4L, V8 Turbo Diesel engine with 350hp output capable to reach a maximum speed of 130km/h. The SandCat is based on an upgraded commercial off-the-shelf Ford F-Series 4x4 chassis, adapted by Oshkosh Defense for military use and fitted with Plasan advanced Metal Composite & Ceramics Composite armor. The SandCat provides a high level of protection for the crew while maintaining excellent maneuverability capabilities.