This is the armored Ford Ranger that price-conscious mercenaries should really put on their shopping list.

The Ford Ranger hasn’t been out in North America for very long, but over in Europe, it’s been around for years. That’s why British engineering and defense contractor Ricardo picked the Ranger to convert into an armored tactical pickup--name recognition goes a long way when converting midsize trucks into personnel carriers.

Ricardo has some experience making armored vehicles--they recently started making the Foxhound armored car for the British army. They also have some automotive experience, having converted a fleet of Land Rovers into armored vehicles in the past and from making transmissions for the Ford GT, Aston Martin Valkyrie, the Audi R8 Le Mans racer, and Hennessey Venom GT.

Ranger
via Ricardo

The powertrain on the armored Ranger remains unchanged, sporting a 2.0-L EcoBlue twin-turbo diesel with 213 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Since much of the truck remains stock, this makes it "a highly cost-effective multi-role transportation product for defense and other security-related applications."

To get the job of defense and security, the Ranger has been fitted with a ring-mount for machine guns and other heavy weaponry, as well as given armor protection for its underbelly. Bulletproof glass protects the driver, while strengthened bumpers allow it to plow through obstacles that it can't shoot through.

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Additional rollover protection comes from a bed cage, strengthened pillars and roof, a 4-point harness, and skid plates protecting the radiator, powertrain, and fuel tank.

Ranger
via Ricardo

Rock rails and big off-road tires provide some all-terrain capability, while Ricardo offers available upgrades to the suspension, brakes, and waterproofing to make it even better at handling poor terrain.

The whole pickup has been painted NATO green and given a camouflage cover, while the truck's electrical systems have also been hardened against EMP attacks. The bed is modular and can be used for transporting personnel or can be converted into a command, control, and communications unit for operations.

Ricardo is advertising their armored Ranger to military, police, and security forces around the world. You might even be able to get one shipped here since they’re still being made with left-hand drive.

(via PistonHeads)

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