The Israeli company Plasan continues to fulfill the order of the Brazilian police. In accordance with the existing contract, Israeli specialists must build and transfer to the customer six armored vehicles of the new model. The first car, which will soon leave for São Paulo, was presented a few days ago.
The contract for the supply of armored vehicles was signed in June this year. The São Paulo Police Department ordered Plasan to develop a new Guarder armored car that would meet its requirements, as well as the construction and delivery of six vehicles. Plasan will receive $ 9.5 million for the completion of the work. The new equipment is intended for use in the special police forces of the largest city in Brazil. The main task of the Guarder machines will be to transport soldiers and protect them from small arms fire.
It is noteworthy that it took only a few months to create a new armored car for the Brazilian police. The contract was signed in June, and in early November Plasan showed the first car out of six ordered. Thus, the construction of the entire batch of new equipment will be completed within the next few months. The rapid implementation of the work was facilitated by the used approach to the design of new technology. In the design of the Plasan Guarder armored car, units of commercial vehicles and technical solutions borrowed from previous Israeli armored vehicles projects are widely used.
It is reported that the basis for the new armored cars was the two-axle chassis of the German company MAN, which has a chassis with a 4x4 wheel arrangement. The equipped weight of the Guarder machine reaches 18.5 tons. With 3.5 tons of payload, the combat weight of the armored car is 22 tons. The type of power plant used and the exact characteristics of mobility are unknown. It is argued that the chassis used will provide the vehicle with a relatively high cross-country ability and maneuverability. So, the turning radius is 18 m, the machine can overcome a trench 0.6 m wide, climb a wall with a height of 0.6 m or a slope up to 60 ° and roll with a roll of up to 25 °.
An armored hull is installed on the base chassis, made in the form of a single large unit that can accommodate the entire crew and troops. The driver and commander are located in the front of the cabover hull. The middle and aft parts of the hull are given over to the troop compartment. According to official information, the armored hull of the Guarder vehicle complies with the 3rd level of protection according to the NATO STANAG 4569 standard. The hull panels protect the crew from armor-piercing bullets of cartridges 7, 62x51 mm. There is mine protection corresponding to level 1 of the same standard. Thus, the crew and units of the armored car are protected from hand grenades and other explosive devices with a small charge.
Since the new armored vehicles are intended for use by the police, they were equipped with specific additional protection. Thus, all the windows are covered with bars designed to hold back stones and other objects thrown into the car. To monitor the situation, the commander and driver have a relatively large windshield and windows in the side doors. The sides of the troop compartment are provided with four small windows. For boarding and leaving, the vehicle has two side doors (driver and commander), as well as a large aft door-ramp, lowered for landing.
Plasan Guarder armored car has a total length of about 8, 75 m. At the same time, the authors of the project managed to place 22 seats in the troop compartment. The seats are located at the sides of the hull, the fighters must sit facing each other. If necessary, an armored car of a new model can be converted into a mobile command post or an ambulance.
Taking into account the threats posed by police operations, the new Israeli armored car received a number of special systems. It is equipped with fire extinguishing equipment in case criminals use incendiary weapons, a filter ventilation unit in case of the use of irritants or poisonous substances. To reduce the blind areas around the armored car, the crew must use a video surveillance system that provides an almost all-round view.
To date, only one armored car of the new model has been built. In accordance with the contract, by the end of the year, Israeli specialists must build five more such machines. With the cost of one Guarder armored car at the level of $ 1.6 million, Plasan will receive $ 9.5 million for the execution of the order.
Plasan is currently working on several projects commissioned by the São Paulo Police Department. In the foreseeable future, the Israeli company must transfer various equipment, communication and control systems designed to combat crime to Brazil. In addition, there is a $ 7.5 million contract for the supply of four SandCat armored vehicles. This technique will be disguised as commercial vehicles.
