| RhinoRUNNER | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Armour Group, Inc. |
| Production | 2004-present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Armored Car |
| Body style | Bus |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 6-cylinder turbo diesel 5.88 liters @240 hp |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | unknown |
| Width | unknown |
| Height | unknown |
| Curb weight | 13 short tons [1] |
The Rhino Runner is a type of armored bus used extensively in Iraq, especially on the infamous Route Irish between Baghdad International Airport and The Green Zone. It is a customized vehicle created by Labock Technologies, which was purchased in 2008 by another company called Advanced Blast Protection. In 2010 Advanced Blast Protection was purchased by Armour Group, Inc. The Rhino Runner® is made in various sizes with different purposes. Duties include normal transport of civilian contractors and military personnel, and usage by VIPs, including transport of prisoners involved in the Iraqi Special Tribunal.
The Rhino Runner is mostly used for transportation of civilians and the press between the Baghdad International Airport and the Green Zone. It is also used to transport soldiers from one base to another.
VIPs have been known to use the Rhinos, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers.
An unpublicized usage of the buses is to transport VIP prisoners, such as the now-deceased Saddam Hussein, between their confinements and the tribunal.
Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different materials such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armours are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration. It is possible to design composite armour stronger, lighter and less voluminous than traditional armour, but the cost is often prohibitively high, restricting its use to especially vulnerable parts of a vehicle. Its primary purpose is to help defeat high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) projectiles.
A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or bullet-resistant vest, is a type of body armour designed to absorb impact and prevent the penetration of firearm projectiles and explosion fragments to the torso. The vest can be either soft—as worn by police officers, security personnel, prison guards, and occasionally private citizens to protect against stabbing attacks or light projectiles—or hard, incorporating metallic or para-aramid components. Soldiers and police tactical units typically wear hard armour, either alone or combined with soft armour, to protect against rifle ammunition or fragmentation. Additional protection includes trauma plates for blunt force and ceramic inserts for high-caliber rounds. Bulletproof vests have evolved over centuries, from early designs like those made for knights and military leaders to modern-day versions. Early ballistic protection used materials like cotton and silk, while contemporary vests employ advanced fibers and ceramic plates. Ongoing research focuses on improving materials and effectiveness against emerging threats.
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An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
The Knight XV is an armored SUV produced in limited quantities by Conquest Vehicles. Unveiled at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is Conquest Vehicles' flagship product. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle takes approximately 4,000 hours to build at its production facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
KamAZ Typhoon is a family of Russian multi-functional, modular, armored Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles manufactured by the Russian truck builder KAMAZ. The Typhoon family is part of Russia's Typhoon program. As of 2021, the number of Typhoons in the Russian Armed Forces fleet was about 330 units of Typhoon-K.
The SBA-60K2 Bulat armored personnel carrier (APC) was developed jointly by Kamaz and Zaschita corporation as a private venture. Development of this vehicle commenced in 2010 and was completed by 2013. It is a further 6x6 development of the earlier BPM-97 4x4 wheeled mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle. Russia currently employs 15 Bulat vehicles received in late 2014, and ordered a new batch of further 50 vehicles from the Russian manufacturer Zashcita.
The Temsah 1 is an Egyptian mine-resistant and ambush-resistant MRAP armored personnel carrier, designed primarily for convoy protection, border patrol, counter-insurgency, troop transport, medical evacuation and command and control. Unveiled in 2016, it was designed and developed by Kader Factory for Developed Industries, and was displayed during the EDEX 2018 exhibition.
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The Temsah 4 is an Egyptian MRAP armoured personnel carrier with a growth vehicle weight (GVW) of 15 tonnes including a 4 tonnes payload. Kader factory for Developed Industries, a member of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), unveils Temsah 4 (4×4) armored vehicle during EDEX 2021, the Egypt defense exhibition EDEX that was held in Cairo from 29 November to 2 December 2021. It is optimized for special operations and security forces.
