The new Defender is one of the most durable and sturdy Land Rovers ever made, but it’s not technically bulletproof. A new kit from German armored car converter, Trasco Bremen GmbH, can help with that, making the Defender into an anti-kidnapping-grade safe haven.
The Trasco A-KIP Defender 110 uses lightweight ballistic materials to create a secure vehicle without the outward obvious appearance of armoring. As Trasco puts it, the modifications are like a bulletproof vest – they don’t protect every inch of the vehicle, but they upgrade the vital components that can keep you moving in an attack situation.
The A-KIP package comes in two different levels of protection – Level 4 and Level 6. Level 4 protection is enough to keep you safe from handguns and shotguns – anything from a 9mm pistol round to a .44 Magnum. The Level 6 package goes further and can protect against shots from the common rifle ammo sizes 7.62x51mm and 5.56x45mm.
The standard ballistics package is your typical vehicle suit of armor – the door glass and windscreen are strengthened, the roof and doors are covered in ballistic material, the rear cargo area is separated by a ballistic wall, and the underbody has fragmentation protection in the footwell areas. From there, you can dig into Trasco’s larger list of options if your personal risk situation just needs more.
Worried about hand grenades rolling under your Defender and disabling it, or coming through the floor? No worries! Hand grenade protection is available. Concerned that the engine compartment may be attacked, setting the vehicle on fire? Automatic or manual fire suppression systems can assuage your concerns. You can even get extra protection for the ECUs so that your ultra-modern Defender can keep its computers churning and its electronics going. There’s even a self-sealing fuel tank to prevent leaks or fatal damage to the tank. High-power window lifters can keep people out as you speed off to the airport to escape on the last plane out of town. If your high-risk role in life is also high-visibility, you can even get the A-KIP Defender with a full lights-and-sirens package.
The package remains discreet, though, so to the unaware, you’re just riding around in a regular Defender 110. No chunky windows, beefed up bolsters, or other tells…just an everyday Land Rover, nothing to look at here.
The Defender A-KIP joins other recent armored Land Rover options, including a variety of Range Rover Sentinel options, and armored LR4s. If your lifestyle requires these kinds of enhanced protections, check out the Trasco A-KIP website for more.
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