Military sniffer dogs in Afghanistan are to travel in luxury – inside armour-plated kennels on board a new vehicle.
A ‘dogpod’ fitted to the six-wheeled Wolfhound tactical support vehicle will include air-conditioning and lighting.
Highly trained spaniels and other dogs adept at sniffing out bombs recently tested the kennels with handlers from 104 Military Working Dogs Squadron, based in Leicestershire.
Previously, the dogs were loose in the back of the vehicles and faced a greater risk of being blown up by the devices they aim to find.
So far, the version of the Wolfhound used in Helmand Province has been a variant designed to carry only soldiers and equipment.
The first of more than 40 dog-friendly versions are due to be delivered to Afghanistan by the end of the year.
