Police armored vehicle

A police armored vehicle, also referred to as a police rescue vehicle, armored rescue vehicle,^[1] tactical police vehicle, or SWAT vehicle, is a non-military armored vehicle used by police, primarily police tactical units and riot police, to respond to incidents that necessitate their use. They are most often in configurations similar to military light utility vehicles, infantry mobility vehicles, or armoured personnel carriers. They are generally designed to have armor that can sufficiently block high-caliber rounds, space to carry the unit's equipment, and sufficient passenger seating; some also allow for additional personnel to hang onto the side of the vehicle in transit.

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China

In China, one of the most widely used tactical vehicles used by the police is the "Saber tooth tiger". It is based on the Ford F-550 and, according to its manufacturer, can withstand M16 and AK-47 rounds, has multiple gun ports, a top speed of 130km/h, a maximum occupancy of 10 personnel and a cost of 2 million yuan (US$298,830).^[2]

France

Among other armoured vehicles, the National Police RAID and Search and Intervention Brigade are equipped with different armoured vans such as the Panhard PVP, former armored cars,^[3] and infantry mobility vehicles such as the Nexter Titus.^[4]

Germany

Armoured police vehicles were first introduced after World War I by German police forces, who had more than hundred armoured vehicles called Sonderwagen (German for special automobile). Nowadays the Federal Police and the state police forces still maintain armoured vans, like Sonderwagen 4 and Sonderwagen 5. The federal police recently^[when?] also ordered the LAPV Enok in addition to its Mowag Eagle and ATF Dingo. The SEK special state police units use armored vehicles like the LAPV Enok and the Survivor R.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Japan

Riot Police Units have been operating some series of Armoured buses (警備車, Keibi-sha), mainly used as mobile shelters and barriers.^[8] More heavily-armored vehicles called Special Armored Vehicles (特型警備車, Tokugata-keibi-sha) were introduced in the 1960s. The first deployed model was called Type F-3, based on Mitsubishi's cab-after-engine trucks.^[9] They were initially treated as idlers because there are only few reports of gun violence in Japan, but they were highly appreciated during the Asama-Sansō incident in 1972 and their significance were widely recognized.^[9]

After several model changes, Type PV-2 based on the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is now deployed nationwide, mainly for anti-firearms squads.^[9] There are also simplified versions called Special Armored Vans (特型遊撃車, Tokugata-yūgeki-sha) and much larger Heavy Special Armored Vehicles (銃器対策警備車, Jūki-taisaku-keibi-sha); the latter is dedicated to the Special Assault Teams.^[9]

New Zealand

The New Zealand Police uses a small fleet of unmarked and armoured Toyota Land Cruisers for matters of nation security or high-risk firearm incidents. The vehicles known as Armoured Special Purpose Vehicles are both bullet and blast resistant designed to blend into normal traffic. Based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch the Land Cruisers are used by the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) and Special Tactics Group (STG) for operations and incidents across the country. The New Zealand Police have operated vehicles similar since the early 2000, but these Land Cruisers which became operational in 2019 are the first specialist vehicles to be armoured.^[10]^[11]^[12] In 2024 the New Zealand Government invested over $250 million [NZD] into police equipment including 55 new specialist vehicles, although the exact number is unknown a small number of these will be Armoured Special Purpose Vehicles.^[13]^[14]

United Kingdom

Police in the United Kingdom, particularly the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), has a great number of police role armoured vehicles based upon a range of base platforms including the Land Rover Defender and the OVIK Crossway. The internal security situation in Northern Ireland demands that the police operate up to 450 armoured vehicles which are optimised for public order duties. The PSNI uses OVIK Pangolin armoured public order vehicles. UK Police are seeing upgrades within their fleet across the different forces, with West Yorkshire Police acquiring two Lenco Bearcats, popular with United States Law Enforcement agencies.

United States

SWAT units may employ police armored vehicles for insertion, maneuvering, or during tactical operations such as the rescue of civilians, officers, firefighters, and/or military personnel pinned down by gunfire. To avoid detection by suspects during insertion in urban environments, SWAT units may also use modified buses, vans, trucks, or other seemingly normal vehicles. During the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, LAPD SWAT commandeered an armored cash-delivery truck, which they used to extract wounded civilians and officers from the raging firefight with the heavily armed bank robbers.

Police armored vehicle

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