An American defence company Textron Systems has officially announced the start of production of armoured vehicles Mobile Strike Force Vehicle (MSFV) for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The production line has been set up at the company’s facility in Slidell, Louisiana. This was announced reports specialist publication The Defence Blog.
A 163-million-pound contract: details of supply and financing
Contract for the sum of $163.4 million is funded under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The agreement provides for the supply of 65 MSFV armoured vehicles, as well as providing a year’s supply of spare parts. All the ordered equipment is scheduled to be handed over to the Ukrainian side by 30 November 2028.
As the publication notes, the MSFV armoured vehicles were originally developed for the Afghan National Army, and the last vehicle of this model rolled off the production line back in 2019. The resumption of production for the Ukrainian Armed Forces marked a «second act» for the platform, which had effectively outlived the very armed forces it was created to protect.
Technical specifications and armament
The MSFV is a thoroughly modernised and upgraded version of an all-wheel-drive four-wheeled armoured vehicle M1117 Guardian, created by the company Cadillac Gage in the late 1990s for the US Army Military Police Corps.
The standard version of the M1117 has the following specifications:
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Weight: approximately 13,410 kg;
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Crew: 3 people (+ 2 additional passengers);
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Maximum speed: up to 101 km/h;
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Armament: 40 mm automatic grenade launcher Mk19 and a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun M2HB, housed in a single-seat turret;
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Defence: one of the first American production models with a V-shaped monocoque body.
How does the MSFV differ from the standard M1117:
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An extended hull and significantly reinforced underbody protection against mines and improvised explosive devices;
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A more powerful diesel engine Cummins QSL 365 in combination with a 6-speed automatic gearbox Allison 3500SP;
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Four-wheel drive (4×4) and an integrated central tyre inflation system for improved off-road capability;
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Increased capacity — certain variants of the armoured vehicle are capable of transporting up to 10 people.
The Ukrainian military already has experience operating the basic M1117 models, which were previously transferred from US Army stocks (the first vehicles were spotted on the front line in March 2024). In the context of modern warfare, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have independently retrofitted them with additional armour panels and anti-drone «cages» (protective enclosures), enabling the vehicles to be adapted to the specific demands of combat operations.
The US Congress is calling for the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defence
Alongside the strengthening of the ground forces, the US is raising the issue of defending Ukraine’s airspace. A senator from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal and the MP Jim Himes called on the US government to respond promptly and positively to the request from the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky in relation to the provision of additional anti-aircraft missiles.
According to lawmakers, this is critically important for protecting Kyiv and other cities from the threat of an escalation and intensification of Russian missile and air strikes. Blumenthal pointed out that Washington has already demonstrated flexibility on numerous occasions and fulfilled Kyiv’s complex defence requests, and therefore expressed hope that the White House would once again find the resources to provide emergency support to Ukraine.
