November 2020
GDLS LAV-
FPI Cougar MRAP
General Dynamics LAV-
US Marine Corps, Afghanistan, 2015.
Trumpeter 1/72 with various accessories
© www.gengriz.co.uk
Have a look at many more of my AFV models on my AFV pages
In the late 1970s, the USMC looked to move its forces to a lighter an more mobile
posture, better fitted to the anticipated brush fire wars of the coming decades.
As part of this it adopted a developed version of the Canadian Piranha 6x6 light
armoured vehicle, itself based on the proven Swiss MOWAG design. The resulting lightly
armed 8 wheeled design was to be amphibious and capable of carrying in a C-
LAVs entered service with the USMC in 1983 and first saw combat in the US’ 1989 Panama
invasion. They remain in widespread service, including deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Surplus vehicles have been supplied to the US Army for its own Airborne Division
rapid deployment units. Up-
Building the Trumpeter LAV-
This is my second LAV-
I have added a few accessories in the form of resin rucsacs and white metal ammunition boxes as well as adding some extra fuel and water jerrycans.
With my previous LAV-
Force Protection Inc. Cougar MRAP
US Marine Corps, Afghanistan, 2015.
4D 1/72 with various accessories
The Cougar MRAP was developed in response to an urgent USMC requirement for a protected Heavy Engineer Vehicle for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, where allied forces were coming under increasingly effective attack from improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. Developed initially by FPI in response to a 2001 British Army requirement, the vehicle was further developed to meet US needs in a number of roles, with the first entering service in 2004, 6 months after it was ordered.
Built around easily replaceable chassis and drive train components, the Cougar gives
protection against small arms, land mines and IEDs. Composite side armour gives
conventional protection while a V-
Available in 6x6 and 4x4 variants, over 4,000 were fielded by US forces alone and have saved many lives.
Building the 4D Cougar MRAP Kit:
Several of these 4D “Puzzle Model” kits are regularly advertised on e-
This one looked a little different, so at £10 outlay, including postage from China I felt it might be worth a look. I was pleasantly surprised by what arrived. Very nicely moulded, with what appears to be acceptably accurate detail (including an interior). It assembles easily, perhaps not entirely snap together, but as good as most AFV kits that I have built.
My only minor criticisms would be the detail on the tyres (overdone) and the lack
of real windows/clear armoured plates on the machine-
I suspect that the kit draws heavily on CAD files derived from one of the very similar 1/35 kit s on the market (perhaps Meng’s) as the detail and layout is spookily similar (albeit with many fewer parts!!). I had hoped to use it as a basis for a British Mastiff kit, but although it would provide a goosd basis, the changes would be very significant, and are currently beyond me.
Definitely a nice kit, and I wonder when/if we will start seeing it in Trumpeter or Revell boxes?