Blackwater USA has unveiled the latest version of its Grizzly mine resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) at DSEi. The company says that Grizzly will be a competitor for US Army and Marine Corps MRAP II purchases and for the British Army's Medium Protected Patrol Vehicle contract.

A distinctive feature of the Grizzly is a diamond-cross-section armored hull. Blackwater says that the design responds to the fact that IED blasts hit from the side of the road - not from underneath like a classic mine. The diamond shape, says Blackwater, is better protected from the side than the classic South African model with a v-shaped bottom and vertical sides.

Blackwater is refining the vehicle's armor design, combining steel, air gaps and composites. The company says that tests are showing that it may be possible to remove the interior steel shell, allowing the composite layer to act as its own spall shield.

Grizzly runs on a Seagrave chassis (the Wisconsin-based company has a long history of building fire trucks) and is propelled by a 330 hp Caterpillar C7 turbo-diesel.