The South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued a tender bid document for the armouring of several models of double cab bakkies, notably Ford double cabs and the Volkswagen Amarok double cab. Bidders seeking to compete must conduct conversion to Ballistic Level B6 or better. The SAPS will provide vehicles to be converted as and when needed, with the contract set for two years.
Vehicles require Level B6 ballistic protection against 7.62×39 mm full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds at 10 metres, and 7.62×51 mm rounds. Further, the armour must be upgradeable to STANAG Level I on all vertical sides. Vehicles must retain their standard factory appearance, with armouring concealed and discreet.
Vehicles must be fitted with 360-degree Level B6 protection, including the vehicle floor. The windshield, rear glass and side glass must be armoured to Level B6, with spall mitigation capability, but side windows must be able to slide down halfway into the door. The electrical window system must be able to sustain the weight of protective glass, and a heavy-duty window mechanism must be installed to open the windows.
All doors must be lockable to prevent outside access, with reinforced hinges to handle the weight of the armoured doors. The vehicle pillars and roof must additionally meet Level B6 protection, with the fuel tank, radiator and battery also covered with ballistic protection.
Front and rear suspension must be upgraded with heavy-duty shocks and an adjustable coil spring, with additional leaf springs if the vehicle is designed with such a system. A high-performance custom brake system must be incorporated to accommodate the additional weight, with high-performance brake pads able to sustain high heat and high-speed braking.
Vehicles must be provided with five heavy-duty rims and five heavy-duty tires with run flat capability. Further, a heavy-duty jack for the vehicle must be provided.
All ferrous metal parts must be protected against corrosion in an acceptable and suitable manner. All repairs pertaining to the armouring must be concluded within 30 days.
Several companies on the market offer discreet vehicle armouring to Level B6, notably Armormax and SVI Engineering. Both companies are recognised as a Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM) by the Ford Motor Company.
The QVM programme is a global standards recognition structure that intends to gauge the ability of a final stage manufacturer to produce a consistent quality level throughout the product line, through control over the engineering, fabrication and vehicle delivery processes. The process of assessment is similar in some respects to the ISO 9001 Quality Management programme that Armormax has been certified for in the past.
Armormax has built several Ford Ranger examples in both B4 and B6 guise. Their approach to vehicle armouring of using the lightest, highest grade ballistic materials available globally means that even the B6 package on the Ranger is only fractionally heavier than B4 packages offered.
Bids close on 10 December 2024.
