Ford Police Interceptors Can Take Armor-Piercing Rounds
Ford Police Interceptors have become the first pursuit-rated police vehicles to offer ballistic protection against armor-piercing rifle ammunition.
The American automaker announced that it will offer ballistic panels on its Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicles with protection up to Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice standard Type IV. According to the standard, Type IV hard armor is tested against .30 caliber armor piercing bullets with a specific mass of 10.8 grams and a velocity of 30 feet/second.
Perhaps the crazier thought is that police vehicles need protection against high-powered, armor-piercing rounds, but as Ford says, “they are unfortunately becoming more common.”
SEE ALSO: Ford EcoBoost Interceptor Gets ‘Pursuit-Rated’ in Michigan, LA
The Type IV panels are an additional optional above and beyond existing ballistic panel protection offered by the American automaker.
There are already Ford Police Interceptors equipped with optional Type III ballistic panels being used on duty around the U.S., says Ford, and those are rated to protect against all handgun and non-armor piercing bullets up to .30 caliber as well as special threat rounds identified by the Los Angeles Police Department.
“The fact that we design our Police Interceptors around officer feedback is what has made them number one. Officers globally told us they needed protection from armor piercing ammunition and we added increased ballistic protection to an already great product – that’s continuous innovation,” said Arie Groeneveld, chief engineer, Ford Police Interceptors.
Discuss this story on our Ford Forum
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
More by Jason Siu
Comments
Join the conversation
TSA takes away dual-use items in case of terrorism. Who will take away these dual-use items in case of tyranny? just sayin