The British Army has placed a £7 million pound order for JCB’s high-speed, high technology backhoe loaders for deployment in Afghanistan.

British designed and engineered, The High Mobility Engineering Excavators (HMEEs) were developed specially for the US Army who placed an order for 800 of the 60mph machines in 2005 for military engineering tasks in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now the Ministry of Defence in the UK is purchasing JCB HMEE’s which will go into service in 2009. The vehicles will be used to clear routes in advance of soldiers being deployed to a specific region and will be manufactured at JCB’s North American factory in Savannah, Georgia.

The machines will come complete with special kit to protect operating crews and will help meet the future operational needs of the British Army.