Defender adds ballistic protection to option list
Land Rover partners with Trasco to provide armoured Defender 110
The current Land Rover Defender has just become more defensive. Against ballistic stuff that, if you’re somewhere dodgy or particularly susceptible to high-powered offensive weaponry, may come in handy. You can now order one with Trasco A-KIP (anti-kidnap) ballistic and blast protection.
It’s available for the 110 model only as part of a JLR exclusive tie-up with the vehicle protection specialist. The upgrades constitute lightweight security-grade steel and composite for the doors, roof and footwells. The windscreen and door glass also provide suitable protection, and there’s a new partition separating the boot and the passenger compartment complete with a protective glass window.
Your choice of protection is VPAM 4 or VPAM 6 certification. In case you don’t know what those mean, it’s the scale of viciousness something’s rated to resist. One to five on the scale is considered soft amour. The sort of thing that'll stand up to something silly, like three hits from a .44 Magnum fired from a distance of around five metres. Six and above is for your proper stuff. That'll resist a mild steel-cored bullet fired from an AK-47 travelling at 720 m/s. Again, it’ll only stand three hits in the same spot, fired from around 10 metres away. That’s better than nothing, mind.
You can add more trinkets, too. A fire suppression system, for example, to snub out a fire under the bonnet. There are also run-flat tyres, a self-sealing fuel tank, heavy-duty window lifters and ballistic underbody protection ‘for added confidence’.
And it’s not easy to spot your target because the changes are discreet. Allan Petty, European Sales Manager, Trasco, said: “Our inconspicuous in-house designed and manufactured A-KIP concept was conceived to help protect the most valuable of assets, human life. Discretion is often the best form of defence, and what we have created for Defender allows those who need additional protection to blend in with normal traffic as the vehicle is virtually indistinguishable from a standard model.”
There's no word on the weight penalty for all this additional kit, although presumably most clients think that a small price to pay for peace of mind. If you think you might have snipers trained on you at any point soon, you can order a specially equipped Defender from Trasco direct.
If you really want something that's bomb/ munitions proof it'll me made in the USA...
The UK has made armoured cars for over a century, and JLR products have a long history of protected vehicles for use by VVIP, NGO and diplomatic personnel all around the world.
JLR are one of the few manufacturers that implement such upgrades on the production line so they are properly and fully integrated without the tear-out and rebuild that many other armoured vehicles face.
If you really want something that's bomb/ munitions proof it'll me made in the USA...
The UK has made armoured cars for over a century, and JLR products have a long history of protected vehicles for use by VVIP, NGO and diplomatic personnel all around the world.
JLR are one of the few manufacturers that implement such upgrades on the production line so they are properly and fully integrated without the tear-out and rebuild that many other armoured vehicles face.
But this is not an in house project that has been implemented in the original design by JLR. This is an “after thought” by Trasco. JLR approved, but not on the same level as Mercedes for instance, who properly develop a new S-Class from scratch with the intention of integrating ballistic protection truly in house.
IIRC in the past JLR used to work with Centigon for their armoured cars.
But this is not an in house project that has been implemented in the original design by JLR. This is an “after thought” by Trasco. JLR approved, but not on the same level as Mercedes for instance, who properly develop a new S-Class from scratch with the intention of integrating ballistic protection truly in house.
IIRC in the past JLR used to work with Centigon for their armoured cars.
Often the solution is something that is 5.56mm NATO or 7.62mm Soviet resistant because they are common rifle calibres. But NATO 7.62 and even .50 BMG can be owned in many countries, including the UK.
Apart from the Beast and a couple of oddities on Doug Demuro (the latter ones really look like something I would be able to knock together in my garage), I can't think of any US armoured vehicles that aren't actual military armoured cars. For full on protection to protect a cash delivery driver long enough to become a double-hard internet legend surely you need to look to South Africa?
Barely worth the effort if you think anyone serious wants to hurt you. More like an ego polisher.
Barely worth the effort if you think anyone serious wants to hurt you. More like an ego polisher.
Thinking of that awful incident in NI when 4 cops burned to death in an armoured Shogun - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-299...
Thinking of that awful incident in NI when 4 cops burned to death in an armoured Shogun - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-299...
VVIP often travel in convoy and/or under police escort. So the likelihood of a vehicle collision is reduced.
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