1. Introduction
Armored Land Cruiser vehicles bear considerable significance not only in terms of transportation but also for many other armed and internal security forces across the globe. Growing threats in terms of different types of explosive devices such as mines, roadside bombs, anti-vehicle improvised explosive devices, and other types of security threats have escalated the demand for vehicles that can provide mobility as well as protection from these types of threats. Vehicle manufacturers, in collaboration with armor solution providers and security agencies, are directing heavy efforts to strengthen the vehicle protection level while maintaining the same mobility and endurance traits. In addition to this, researchers and vehicle engineering communities are producing several solutions for the armoring of vehicle platforms across different vehicle categories. This review unfolds the possibilities in various areas of armored Land Cruiser vehicles including attributes, historical background, design, performance, and application. The recent upsurge in different security threats is forcing security agencies to redesign their mobility approach to achieve a protection mechanism while keeping in mind the importance of mobility as well. In addressing this issue, vehicle designers, in collaboration with researchers and security agencies, are looking into the development of vehicles that can circumvent certain types of threats while providing adequate protection. In this regard, armored vehicles have shown potential in the recent past both in military and civilian application areas. In the context of the current discourse, the review aims to categorically point out certain areas of armored Land Cruiser vehicles including design, performance, and future aspects.
2. Historical Development of Armored Land Cruiser Vehicles
The utilization of modern-day armored cars had its roots in World War I, when the initial production of armored bodies attached to trucks and layout vehicles occurred. These were makeshift solutions to a dire problem and were produced ad hoc, lacking the standardized layouts and the combat doctrines that are utilized in modern-day as the basis of the production technology. A notable exception to this is the GM produced “officer’s transport car,” which featured an armored body mounted on a commercial vehicle’s chassis and was used to transport commanding officers. These vehicles had a marked influence on the future evolution of the armored Land Cruiser, though the advent of a modern convoy system and the increase in prominence of landmines during World War II acted as driving factors for the development of armored vehicles proper for military applications. The first two complete designs of armored cars were used in the immediate precursor of World War II, the Spanish Civil War. This war saw the combat initiation of the Soviet BA-I and BA-3 designs, both of which used wheeled propulsion as opposed to the motorized tracked system which is the stock-in-trade of today’s armored vehicle park. The Germans simultaneously employed the SdKfz 231, the prototype of the more famous SdKfz 232, which saw wide utilization during the course of the war.
The Nissan L-60 series of armored cars have been in development and production far longer than any other armored car design in history. In 1959, the Nissan Patrol and the Land Cruiser underwent the process of being “armored.” The hardening of the Toyota model was spurred by both the needs of the national police and the Japanese military’s procurement of a fleet of UAZ 469s. The original production model was the FJ25 type, the known use of which dates from 1959 and which remained in use with the police until 1969. The first use of the Land Cruiser by the military is as yet unknown, as the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force is not a very forthcoming organization concerning information on equipment. In 1961, Toyota added the FJ35 type, the version which now participates in the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, to its production line. In contrast, the Nissan Patrol started out as a vehicle produced expressly for military duties. In 1958, as a product of the light motor vehicle joint development project of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, Nissan, and the Prince Motor Company, two examples were produced of a chassis cab version with a two-passenger cab-chassis cover. It was delivered to the police in the line of sight. The first known use of a patrol by the police dates from 1967. In the meantime, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force has dropped the L-60 Patrol as a military vehicle.
3. Design and Construction Features
Design and Construction Features: Hostilities in keeping with the socio-political environment of the world today have considerably increased the chances of sudden withdrawal of the military in the case of any war. In such a scenario, the host country’s forces will be operating in an area with no support, protection, or maintenance from the original manufacturer. Hence, it is given utmost importance in the design criterion to make the vehicle not only able to cross a hostile environment but also protect the vehicle and the army personnel inside it from any ambush. In order to sustain the weight of additional armor, the structural design and engine are the two most crucial considerations. The present design of the vehicle calls for the integration of sophisticated designing technologies aimed at incorporating facilities for offering ballistic protection to the personnel against the effect of bullets fired from small-range weapons. Internal and external armor has been considered in the design of the armored YLA for protection against the effect of mine blasts and fire. The balance of the armored vehicles is very critical since any tilt to one side can result in getting totally out of control. The designer needs to carefully select different materials that can protect the vehicle against minimum injuries due to small arms, as well as control the weight to avoid causing any cantilever effect resulting in tilt or instability. The center of gravity needs to be carefully controlled in the case of armored vehicles, being approved by our forces induction team. The balance of such vehicles is extremely critical, and hence the designer needs to carefully select different materials that can protect the vehicle against minimum injuries due to small arms, as the safety of the crew and protection is of utmost importance today. 3.1. Armoring of Vehicle: Materials and Techniques. The armoring of the vehicle, YLA, has been done from both inside and outside with various materials to withstand any mine blast or fire. The interior protection has a three-point seat belt, roll cage, and headrest accomplished with built-in mine blast attenuation. This forms almost 70% of the total effective thickness of the armor. The cautious design only considers the H-shaped armoring for the engine compartment with graded protection against standard bullets to armor-piercing bullets. The armoring is carried out by using very high-grade raw materials meant for tear resistance and elongation, thus giving greater life to the people traveling in the cabin. It is a sandwich kind of technology with armored steels of greater strength providing the necessary strength to the armor. Both the armor and sheet metal for the vehicle have been provided. The vertical stand against land mine protection was accomplished in the engine bay. The XLA has more capable land mine protection than the YLA’s version. The capable land mine protection was again made available by increasing the thickness for the underbody longitudinal armor. A step final of 20 mm and 18 mm for each plate were selected to prevent the effect of underneath blasts. These bend panels act as underbelly armor in a way that reduces the impact crater.
3.1. Armoring Materials and Techniques
Armoring is one of the most important aspects of a Land Cruiser vehicle as it is directly related to safety and life protection. Hence, the world is in continuous research and development of new and advanced armoring materials and strategies to keep the vehicles more secure and lighter in weight, coupled with multiple properties. Various materials are proposed for armor designs such as homogeneous steel, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, ceramics, ceramic-metal laminates, and polymer matrix composites. These materials are evaluated based on weight, ballistic limit, and various other protective performance parameters. The use of these materials has allowed many interdisciplinary attempts at armor design, resulting in heavier-armored Land Cruisers. Nevertheless, a vast comprehensive literature review shows no recent state-of-the-art and comprehensive review on armoring techniques and materials used for armored Land Cruiser vehicles. Land Cruiser vehicles are the transportation links for security personnel and facilitating guards in governmental as well as nongovernmental organizations, where the level of armoring decides their protection against threats. This review includes an analysis of multiple armor materials and strategies being used in the manufacturing of an armored Land Cruiser vehicle. Various investigations on the armoring of these vehicles conclude their excessive weights despite being armored for a protective level. This encouraged material scientists to develop lightweight armor materials with maximum protective performance for Land Cruisers. Despite the use of such high-performance materials for armoring, there are few advancements highlighted on the standards being used for testing armor materials. In addition, the design of an armored structure and the protective value they offer still lie in demand.
3.2. Protection Levels and Standards
Due to the increasing availability of explosive devices such as mines and IEDs to insurgents and the estimated risk in a given warfare arena, a market-driven standard of ever-increasing blast and ballistic protection capability is driven and responds to this requirement. International definitions for establishing the level of protection for most of the requirements listed in the following chapters are detailed in both NATO as well as EN. The main difference between these armor grading systems is in the kind of steel core/hardener that has been used in development. Nevertheless, a benchmark is defined for the armor used in developing countries as a form of usually low-strength, high-yield armor. Protection levels are the capability to defend vehicle passengers, as well as vehicle systems, from ballistic, blast, and forced entry attacks. These certified levels are therefore employed in evaluating the vehicle’s overall threat protection and can be supplemented by independent performance assessments against not yet standard threats.
Customized protection grades are possible to meet customer-specific threats. Among the modifications and/or add-ons appropriate for each Land Cruiser in terms of ballistic protection are protection levels that must be adjusted in conjunction with changes in the design. Vehicle generators, fuel tanks, and electrical systems also incorporate other fields such as blast resistance. Designated protection levels are accompanied by material and design standards in tables. The design employs advanced materials and additional features necessary to protect the vehicle and its occupants because it has been corroborated by extensive and independent testing. When employing an armored vehicle for any security operation or tactical method, it is absolutely vital to adhere to standardized industry protection levels. If a vehicle does not match the definition for a particular level, or has not been tested by an internationally approved, certified test house, it would be unwise to assume that the armored vehicle will perform according to a specific level of armor regardless of threats. Most countries have protection standards. There are standards for European armor-level specifications. While in England the testing standard has been superseded, some vehicles are now used in combat. In some countries such as the United States, standards are used to test commercial vehicles and property. For private security companies and bullet-resistant security vehicles in certain regions, a specific standard is used.
Local standards are being increasingly adopted and harmonized by international agencies to standardize these local standards with the testing. There are numerous additional counter-IED strategies, design considerations, and innovative research seeking to standardize procedures, with the aim of providing useful insights into the threats posed by the surrounding environment and bombs/IEDs. Because the materials used are protected by international patent and blast protection is considered classified knowledge owing to the nature of the threat, only weapons descriptions from testing standards have been included within this paper. In applications such as protection for strategic commanders and VIP transport as well as ambulances, little needs to be changed in terms of specific armored protection integration based on the materials, design, and expertise that has been applied. In this review, the focus is on protection detailing solely.
4. Performance and Mobility Characteristics
An armored vehicle is, first and foremost, an operational system: its protection level and tactical and operational capabilities need to be approached holistically. Units need not forcefully have fleets of similar vehicles; however, the mobility and protection characteristics of a vehicle need to match the needs and operational environment of the units and roles that it is expected to fill. In this section, a brief analysis of the performance and mobility characteristics of the various models is undertaken. Speed, handling, protection, ergonomics, etc., are important operational factors in both civilian and military contexts, and when approached as a system, they are the elements that make a vehicle operational and successful in a battlefield or commercial sense. Note that acceleration tests, turning radius, off-road mobility, speed over rough terrain, and self-recovery, etc., are also militarily and commercially important.
The mobility of the vehicle is an essential factor in its operational effectiveness and, by extension, force protection. When armored, the mobility or operational performance of a vehicle is relatively neglected or assumed; this general concept is as incorrect as the idea that lighter armored vehicles are just as well off, if not better, due to their mobility advantages, unless the operational environment matches that analyzed. There are two primary reasons for this assumption: first of all, the increased cross-country mobility due to armament more than compensates for any performance deficit resulting from the vehicle’s increased weight due to armoring. Recent technological advancements in engines, suspension, and drivetrains have somewhat neutralized the loss of acceleration and top speed capabilities otherwise related to the armor plating of a vehicle, but it comes at a considerable cost. More worryingly, not only is the drag from the additional weight relatively unfelt off-road, but the added weight of armoring also adds to the vehicle’s traction. The end result of all this is that adding armor to a vehicle does impair its operational potential, but the heavy weight of armor actually impacts actual performance far less than one would initially imagine.
The fairly good off-road characteristics of the various models are the result of a combination of their robust chassis and a convoluted and sophisticated suspension system. Ground clearance, fording depth, traction, good angles of approach and departure, and a good turning radius are further characteristics that make the vehicles highly capable off-road. The pronounced off-road-biased models in the series, such as the lighter models, are even more capable off-road, and they make use of several different terrains to reach their targets and operate. The series offers a high range of driving modes that can be combined despite being fully packed with personnel or cargo, on difficult terrains, or in tough climatic conditions, in compliance with the vehicles’ load-distributing or environmental requirements. Measures like water crossings can be made through advanced diving features. Furthermore, tire grip is used together with stability control and traction control. Even at a high body height with a high center of gravity, hill-start assist control and downhill assist control are included as standard features: the vehicles can get through or down sharp declines. The participating system was calibrated. This is technically possible: the broad wheel track and low span paired with unrivaled wheel articulation contribute to handling bumpy, unpredictable, and rocky terrain with impunity, which helps to keep the vehicles steady even under conditions dangerous for off-road vehicles.
5. Applications and Variants
The “Armadillo” project creates a product family, so we manufacture a variety of models to suit different intended uses of the end user. Armored vehicles have applications in modern warfare for tactical use and logistics in fields such as armored infantry or mechanized units; used by military police general staff or in use by regular light infantry and special forces. In addition to their various applications, they can be used in the maintenance of internal security. Vehicles can be used as a protected platform for law enforcement agencies, and vehicles to protect civilians in areas of political tension or social unrest must also be used. The main difference between the appropriate types of vehicles is the type of use (military, law enforcement, or civilian protection vehicles), as well as other differences between different vehicles such as the equipment used for a particular job. A vehicle can be equipped for a special purpose of medical work for an automotive field hospital, while another vehicle may be used in cold storage and catering for field work in the camps. Awareness is now the most prominent industry for the assembly of armored vehicles, which has led to a rapid decline of other cars from international manufacturers. Steel used for the manufacture of armored vehicles varies by protection level, depending on heavy bulletproof use with 10mm-20mm thick steel. Commercial car metal length delivers the best quality of cold-rolled high standards of international ballistic standards, starting from 6mm up to 145mm thick armored glass of triple curvature, manufactured according to the size, design, and required protection level. A large opening at the front for a special gun port allows for the use of weapons, located in firing ports distributed throughout the interior, issuing from all sides of the gun ports made of metal, which supports the guns and opens to include a complete internal area apart from catching dust and explosion debris when the rounds are fired. The production of copies for the company began in 2006, and the invention did not start until 2008. The hard lens is designed for use in peacekeeping and security operations. Armored vehicles transport large amounts of money and other valuables. Emergency vehicles, like armored cars, operate in the light of day, with the Business Department of the police station collecting materials and depositing them in the bank. In case of unavailable security at the banks in the northwest or in the provinces, they are then transported by an armored car traveling from side to side along the weakest path, with military protection from competent vehicles. Despite the many potential advantages of utilizing armored vehicles, a number of issues need to be considered prior to their use. Among the trends that can be seen as adverse for those requiring protection are pirate operations in the major shipping lanes. Additionally, increasing numbers of supplied vehicles leaving the wire have increased the amount of local ambush incidents, resulting not only in high vehicle losses and serious injuries but also fatalities. In general, as the conflict areas themselves are very diverse in terms of potential dangers, the problems of using protected vehicles in such settings are also diverse. The type of vehicle chosen, when it is adopted to deal with trends and threats within an area, will directly influence its capabilities. The result of this choice will directly affect the tactical and operational successes of the protected vehicles bought, operated, or used in one way or another. Operators not only need to have knowledge of the vehicles and their capabilities but also the threats faced if they are to succeed. The so-called Haiti-line of Protected Birds series is based around Africa’s most popular armored vehicle.
