Special protection vehicle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A former official vehicle of the German Federal President with resistance class VR6 / VR7. The vehicle shown is a pool vehicle. When the Federal President is present, the number plate “0-1” is attached to the respective vehicle.

Passenger cars or commercial vehicles are designated as special protection vehicles , which are intended to protect occupants or cargo from external attacks by means of integrated armor .

history

Mercedes-Benz offered the first special protection vehicles as early as 1928 . The W08 had sliding steel plates with which the window panes were secured from the inside. With the help of a periscope one could see outside. The first fully armored car, a "Great Mercedes" Type 770 , was delivered to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1930 . In addition to the special protection vehicles from the brand manufacturers, other companies also offer conversions of such vehicles. These companies also change vehicles that are not available from the factory as special protection vehicles. The effort for this is high, since the series vehicles have to be almost completely dismantled before the conversion.

Resistance classes

Special protection vehicles are divided into different resistance or fire classes. However, this does not determine the resistance of the entire vehicle, but the resistance of the various materials used.

The resistance classes are certified according to DIN and Euro norms according to which firearms the armor is resistant to. The "bullet-proof classes" for all bullet-resistant doors and windows are subdivided from B1 to B7 with the EN standard 1522, the associated bulletproof glass (EN 1063) is divided into BR1 to BR7. Vehicles are given the abbreviations VR1 to VR7 ( "Vehicle Resistance" ), the type of fire is identical. The certification of the vehicle in the respective resistance class is carried out in Germany by the fire protection offices in Mellrichstadt, Munich and Ulm.

Directive BVR 1999

Resistance class caliber Shooting range Impact speed Weapon type
VR1 .22 LR 10 meters 360 m / s Handgun
VR2 9 mm parabellum 05 meters 400 m / s Handgun
VR3 .357 Magnum 05 meters 430 m / s Handgun
VR4 .44 Rem. Magnum
.357 Magnum 		05 meters 440 m / s Handgun
VR5 5.56 × 45 mm NATO 10 meters 950 m / s gun
VR6 7.62 × 51 mm NATO soft core
5.56 × 45 mm NATO soft core with steel penetrator 		10 meters 830 m / s gun
VR7 7.62 × 51 mm NATO hard core 10 meters 830 m / s gun
VRSG1 12/70 solid storey 10 meters 420 m / s shotgun

If several calibres are specified, the test must be carried out with both calibers in order to achieve the resistance class.

VPAM Directive 2006

The VPAM guideline APR 2006 (as of May 12, 2010) divided into the following test levels:

Resistance class caliber Shooting range Impact speed Weapon type Bullet energy (joules)
VR1 .22 LR 10 meters 360 ± 10 m / s Handgun 00.168
VR2 9 mm parabellum 05 meters 360 ± 10 m / s Handgun ( pistol ) 00.518
VR3 9 mm parabellum 05 meters 415 ± 10 m / s Handgun ( machine gun ) 00.689
VR4 .357 Magnum soft core
.44 Rem. Magnum soft core 		05 meters
05 meters		 430 ± 10 m / s
440 ± 10 m / s		 Handgun 00.943
01,510
VR5 .357 Magnum solid brass 05 meters 580 ± 10 m / s Handgun 01,194
VR6 7.62 × 39 mm iron core 10 meters 720 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 02,074
VR7 5.56 × 45 mm NATO soft core with steel penetrator
7.62 × 51 mm NATO soft core 		10 meters
10 meters		 950 ± 10 m / s
830 ± 10 m / s		 gun 01,805
03,289
VR8 7.62 × 39 mm steel hard core, incendiary device 10 meters 740 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 02,108
VR9 7.62 × 51 mm NATO steel hard core 10 meters 820 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 03,261
VR10 7.62 × 54 mm R steel hard core, incendiary device 10 meters 860 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 03,846
VR11 7.62 × 51 mm NATO tungsten carbide , 8.4 grams 10 meters 930 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 03,633
VR12 7.62 × 51 mm NATO tungsten carbide , 12.7 grams 10 meters 810 ± 10 m / s Assault rifle 04.166
VR13 12.7 × 99 mm NATO steel hard core no specification 930 ± 20 m / s Machine gun 18,595
VR14 14.5 × 114 mm steel hard core, incendiary device no specification 911 ± 20 m / s Heavy machine gun (on vehicle) 26,308

The resistance classes usually used are VR4 and VR7 / BR6 (BVR 1999). The slash in the specification for the so-called heavy tanks means that the body corresponds to bullet class VR7 and the glazing to bullet class BR6.

In addition to attacks with firearms , such vehicles also protect the occupants from attacks with explosives , axes , crowbars and incendiary bombs ( Molotov cocktails ).

target group

Special protection vehicle of the President of the USA , also called Cadillac One .
British Prime Minister's Armored Jaguar (2010)

Vehicles of the highest resistance class

The range of special protection vehicles of the highest resistance class VR6 / VR7 is mainly aimed at security authorities that are responsible for protecting the constitutional organs and their foreign guests. Increasingly, private individuals are also part of the target group.

Rumors that vehicles of the highest resistance class cannot be purchased by private individuals cannot be substantiated with sources. Such vehicles are also available in considerable numbers on the used car market - also from government agencies - for everyone. For example, a former company vehicle owned by Hans-Dietrich Genscher is now in the hands of a private collector.

Details and production numbers of these vehicles are mostly kept secret by the manufacturers. This serves on the one hand to protect customers and on the other hand to secure advantages over competitors.

The official vehicle of the President of the USA is an exception here . This vehicle photographed in the picture on the right cannot be classified in any of the standardized protection classes. The protective effect should, however, go far beyond the previously highest protection class VR10. Experts estimate that vehicle windows are up to 14 cm thick.

Vehicles of the medium resistance class

Special protection vehicle for the transport of valuables

The target group for special protection vehicles of the medium resistance class VR4 are people who move in areas at risk from criminal attacks ( e.g. carjacking , kidnapping or robbery).

Special protection vehicles are also used by security companies to transport valuables. A well-known example of this are so-called money transporters . When ordering, such vehicles are equipped with resistance classes corresponding to the respective requirements.

Manufacturer

Special protection vehicles ex works

Manufacturer / type Resistance class available
Audi A8 (D4 / 4H) L 4.0 TFSI, L W12-FSI Security VR9
Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner Division VR7
BMW X5 (F15) Security and Security Plus VR4 or VR6
BMW 7 Series (F03) High Security VR7 (in parts VR9)
Jaguar XJ (X351) Sentinel B7 (corresponds to VR9)
Range Rover (LG / L405, since 2012) Sentinel VR8
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W 212) E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, E 350, E 500 E-Guard VR4
Mercedes-Benz G-Class (W463) G 500 G-Guard VR7 (up to VR10 in the glass area)
Mercedes-Benz M-Class (new GLE-Class) (W166) ML 350 BlueTEC, ML 500 M-Guard VR4 or VR6
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (V222) S 500, S 600 S-Guard VR9
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (VV 222) S 600 Pullman S-Guard VR9
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (X222) S 600 S-Guard VR10

Retrofitters

There are a large number of companies around the world that have specialized in retrofitting primarily off-road vehicles with armor in protection level VR6 / VR7. Due to the added weight, additional work on the vehicle is required in addition to the installation of the armor, as the increased weight places higher demands on the load-bearing capacity of the body and the installed vehicle systems (such as the brakes). Many manufacturers have these vehicles certified by test facilities. Materials against bombardment and explosion are tested, for example, by the German shooting office or by HP White, USA. Tests and certification conform to the European VPAM APR standard and the US NIJ / UL-752 standards for bulletproof materials. Such vehicles are often used by authorities, companies and aid organizations in crisis areas, as the off-road mobility is necessary due to the destroyed or missing infrastructure in the countries of operation.

Optional extras

Special protection vehicles are often equipped with additional special equipment that is rarely available for conventional vehicles. These include internal fire extinguishing systems , external intercom systems (so-called intercom systems), tires with emergency running properties, GPS tracking systems, explosion-proof tanks, external air filter systems against gas attacks and much more.

GPS tracking system

Even extensive armoring does not offer sufficient protection against unauthorized access. For example, in 2004 the company car of DaimlerChrysler boss Jürgen Schrempp was stolen. Despite a search by the police and various attempts at location, the car could not be located using the GPS system built into the vehicle . A spokesman for DaimlerChrysler only confirmed that “an armored Mercedes was stolen from the fleet”.

The mayor of Frankfurt, Petra Roth , had once had the company car stolen from her chauffeur's garage. In this case, however, the vehicle could be located a day later using the tracking system in a Frankfurt car park.

remote control

An armored car must be ready for immediate use. Since the driver and companion usually also leave the vehicle when the person to be protected leaves the same vehicle, there is a need to avoid any delay when leaving a dangerous location in dangerous situations. There is the special remote starter function . Before the authorized persons have reached the vehicle, the vehicle's engine can be started using the remote control. Careful drivers usually start the vehicle remotely with the help of this function. There is thus no risk of being caught in the vehicle by an ignition-coupled car bomb that may have been installed in the vehicle while the engine is starting.

Safety tires

Cut through a safety tire

Safety tires are a system of rims and tires that have certain emergency running properties even after they have been hit (foreign bodies) and after a loss of air pressure. At the beginning of the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz temporarily offered this safety technology for series vehicles under the name CTS tires .

Breathing air supply / filter system

In order to be able to offer protection against attacks with irritant or poisonous gases, systems are available that filter air supplied to the interior or enable an independent breathing air supply via compressed air cylinders. This creates a slight overpressure in the vehicle that prevents outside air from entering the vehicle.

Anti-kidnapping functions

In the event of kidnapping, in which the victim is to be abducted in their own car, facilities exist to shut down the car and lock the doors. These measures can go unnoticed, e.g. B. be triggered by a hidden control panel in the trunk.

Emergency exits

A particular danger with armored vehicles is that they can be used in an emergency, e.g. B. after an accident, can no longer leave. This can have various reasons, such as deformation of the doors or failure of the electronics for locks and window regulators. The armor made it impossible to smash the windows and the fire brigade would have had considerable difficulty dismantling the roof. Some vehicles therefore have electrically independent hydraulic window lifters, which are necessary anyway due to the heavy weight of the armored windows.

A safety device that has only appeared in the last few years is the front screen that can be detached by remote ignition. In order to be able to leave an armored vehicle in an unconventional way even after an accident, the windows were the only escape route. However, since these are too heavy to be able to pry out after an accident (especially in a weakened physical condition), detonating cords were installed in the window frames. If necessary, these should detach the window body from the frame. The actuation switch is usually located under a small (mostly contrasting color) hinged cover.

As a rescue option, Audi now offers the blasting out of all four doors using a release button in the center console.

used material

Side window of a special protection vehicle of the type Mercedes-Benz W 126 after being shot at with different calibers
VR7 armor on a Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard (BR 220)

The materials used for armor are mostly steel , plastics (e.g. Kevlar ) and bulletproof glass . Steel is used to eliminate the effectiveness of projectiles, while plastics are used to prevent projectile splinters from penetrating.

Also, synthetic fibers , such as aramid (Kevlar), composite materials and also special ceramics used as a weight savings compared to the conditions used for armor special steels is possible. The increased use of these modern materials in the newer special protection vehicles also helps to integrate the modifications more inconspicuously into the vehicles in order to keep the conspicuousness of vehicles equipped in this way on public roads as low as possible.

Weight

The armor can increase the vehicle weight by 1,000 kilograms or more, depending on the resistance class. A single vehicle door often weighs more than 100 kilograms; Hydraulic systems are often used here for easier opening and closing as well as for lifting and lowering the heavier armored glass panes.

In modern vehicles, the weight disadvantage is no longer largely compensated for by more powerful engines , but rather by adapted chassis with regard to driving behavior and driving performance. The associated increased fuel consumption plays a subordinate role in the target group of these vehicles. For reasons of environmental protection, more and more people refrain from compensating by pure motor size.

Since some special protection vehicles exceed the total mass of 3,500 kilograms and a driver's license for trucks is required to drive the vehicle, the Second Ordinance on Exceptions to the Regulations of the Driver's License Ordinance provides that vehicles are used by the Federal Criminal Police Office or the police of the federal states for personal protection can be used with a class B driving license (for cars). In this case, the vehicle must meet certain structural requirements. The driver must also have completed special driver training of at least three days. Even then, the vehicle to be controlled must not weigh more than 4,100 kilograms.

safety

The armor of a special protection vehicle cannot guarantee its occupants absolute safety. In most cases, special protection vehicles only represent a part of the measures to protect a person. A very important component for safe transport is the driving ability and behavior of the chauffeur. Most drivers of special protection vehicles have completed personal protection training and special driver training. Often there are other bodyguards in the vehicle. In order to further increase security, convoys are often formed, with the escort vehicles usually only transporting bodyguards or luggage for the guardian. If the demands are high, the escort vehicles are also special protection vehicles. For example, an uninjured guard can switch to an armored support vehicle after an accident. Escort vehicles are used on motorways to shield against overtaking vehicles. In the event of a targeted attack, the crew of an escort vehicle can fight the attacker in order to enable the vehicle of the guardian to escape as quickly as possible.

Known incidents

  • At a bomb attack with a photoelectric barrier-controlled bomb from about 7 kg TNT similar to an anti-tank mine - but unlike often falsely reported no hollow charge contained, but a projectile-forming charge - died in 1989, the then CEO of Deutsche Bank 's Alfred Herrhausen in a Mercedes S-Class of resistance class B6 / B7 while its driver was only slightly injured. Part of the inside door panel was blown off by the pressure of the explosion and had injured Herrhausen's femoral artery. Due to absence of first aid by the following in a second carriage close protection bled Herrhausen within minutes. The doors, trunk and hood had all been torn open in the explosion.
  • On April 19, 1995, José María Aznar , at that time still the leader of the opposition in Spain , survived a similar bomb attack in an Audi V8 of the same resistance class with minor injuries.
  • On February 9, 1998, an attack was carried out on the Georgian President at the time, Eduard Shevardnadze . The assassins used RPG-7 armor-piercing shells . Despite two hits in the bonnet of the armored B6 / B7-S-Class , the driver managed to get the vehicle out of the danger zone. Although the vehicle was badly damaged, Shevardnadze, his driver and two of his bodyguards were almost unharmed.
  • In March 1981, the then US President Ronald Reagan was almost doomed by his armored limousine. When he was standing a few meters from his car, an assassin shot Reagan, but instead the bullet hit the armored glass of the limousine, ricocheted off and injured Reagan.

Related topics

  • A similar classification of security applies to bullet-resistant vests .
  • STANAG 4569 describes the protection levels for occupants of logistics and light armored vehicles.

Web links

Commons : Special protection vehicle  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ General information on bullet resistance. The EURO NORM EN 1522 , on sitec.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  2. ↑ Guideline for testing and certification of " bullet-resistant vehicles" for cars and other motor vehicles (BVR 1999) , on beschussamt-ulm.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  3. ↑ Association of test centers for attack-resistant materials and constructions (VPAM): General test principles for ballistic material, construction and product tests (APR 2006) , on vpam.eu, accessed on February 15, 2016
  4. ↑ Beschussamt Ulm: VPAM test guideline APR 2006, comparison table ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , at vpam.eu, accessed February 15, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.vpam.eu
  5. ^ Rollende Armor , on manager-magazin.de on November 14, 2005, accessed on February 15, 2016
  6. ↑ Cf. Obama drives to the White House with this beast , on welt.de on January 15, 2009, accessed on February 15, 2016
  7. ↑ border area: Obama Mobile - Presidential tanks on autoscout24.de December 18, 2008, accessed on February 15, 2016
  8. ↑ The Audi A8 L Security , at audi.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  9. ↑ Bentley Mulliner Sets the Standard for Personal Safety, on bentleymedia.com, accessed February 15, 2016
  10. ↑ BMW X5 Security Plus: Safely mobile with resistance class VR6 (BRV 2009) , on bmw.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  11. ↑ BMW 7 Series High Security: optimum security , on bmw.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  12. ↑ XJ SENTINEL - The armored XJ ( Memento of the original from December 8, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , at jaguar.at, accessed on February 15, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.jaguar.at
  13. ↑ "LAND ROVER REVEAL THE RANGE ROVER SENTINEL," on landrover.com, accessed May 28, 2016
  14. ↑ Premiere: The new S 600 Guard - special protection for the highest demands ( Memento of the original dated December 8, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , at media.daimler.com, accessed February 15, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / media.daimler.com
  15. ↑ G-Guard ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , from mercedes-benz.de, accessed on February 15, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mercedes-benz.de
  16. ↑ MB Guard ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , from mercedes-benz.de, accessed on February 15, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mercedes-benz.de
  17. ↑ EXTREEM LUXE EN EXTREEM VEILIG: MERCEDES-MAYBACH GUARD , on autovisie.nl, accessed on February 15, 2016
  18. ↑ The new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard , on Daimler Global Media Site, accessed on September 23, 2016
  19. ↑ Play it safe , on autobild.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  20. ↑ Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard in the handling test - survival where others die , on auto-motor-und-sport.de, accessed on February 15, 2016
  21. ↑ How do I steal the Mercedes from Daimler boss Jürgen Schrempp? , on welt.de on November 23, 2004, accessed on February 15, 2016
  22. ↑ Second Ordinance on Exceptions to the Regulations of the Driving License Ordinance (PDF; 30 kB) of December 16, 2011 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 3113 ).
  23. ↑ a b c Thomas Kirn: The unpunished murder. faz.net, November 30, 2009
  24. ↑ The explosive was formed as a plate, and coated with a copper plate , whereby the explosion energy according to the Misznay-Schardin effect is converged, but the bundling significantly weaker than with a shaped charge is that after the Munroe effect works
  25. ^ Andres Veiel: Black Box BRD. Alfred Herrhausen, Deutsche Bank, The RAF and Wolfgang Grams. Pp. 10-13, Fischer Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-596-15985-7
  26. ^ Lutz Wernicke: Stammheim 1977 - Reality and Propaganda , AT Edition, 2003, ISBN 978-3-89781-055-6 , pp. 95/96, online
  27. ↑ Christoph Gunkel: Death in the light barrier. spiegel.de, November 30, 2009, accessed December 2, 2011 .