LAHORE – The specter of terrorism and general insecurity has fueled a boom in demand for security products and services. Private residences have become fortresses and a veritable army of security personnel has materialised in recent years.
The trend has given birth to a new industry – the business of armoured car manufacturing and customisation, Pakistan Today has learnt. It has been disclosed that owing to rising security concerns, foreign missions, politicians, businessmen and senior officials import some 600 to 700 bulletproof vehicles every year.
In addition, five local concerns, one in Lahore and two each in Karachi and Islamabad are converting ordinary off-road vehicles into bulletproof armoured trucks. The latest entrant is Lahore-based, Defence Solution Systems (DSS). It has indicated that the demand of bulletproof vehicle has increased manifold during recent years, but the highest rate of duty and taxes of about 250 percent bars many from importing modern bulletproof vehicles.
Nevertheless, with the inception of local manufacturing facility one could easily get armoured protection for his automobile in just one-fifth of the cost of import. A new model bulletproof armoured vehicle costs some $150,000 to $170,000 in the international market, but DSS claims that it offers the same level of protection to local customers in just $40,000 to $50,000 in addition to the price of an ordinary vehicle.
Vehicles converted in Pakistan are manufactured in accordance with B6, B7 and DM-51 international ballistic standards, which means a passenger sitting in the cabin is protected against Kalashnikov, G-3, M-16 and other similar caliber weapons. In addition, the DM-51 standard indicates that the vehicle is given under floor protection against two DM-51 hand grenades.
One might think that the specifications mentioned above are from some James Bond flick, but more novel features including the possible provision of a smoke box and nail box used to disrupt ambushes or pursuit are also available. In addition, a turbo or super charger can also be installed in the armoured vehicle and is very handy in getting out of a tight spot fast.
Some enthusiasts might be interested to know that during the reengineering process vehicle an additional 1,000 to 1,600 kilograms is added to the frame and to bare such a huge load, vehicle suspension, shocks, braking system and other parts are replaced with high-efficiency equivalents.
However, the darker side of the story is that owing to rising incidents of terrorism, extortion and kidnapping people have started thinking about maintaining whole fleets of bulletproof vehicles. One of these specialised vehicle manufacturers reveals that despite the fact the prices of these armoured cars are exorbitantly high, it still receives enquiries for two three vehicles from a single customer.
Armoured cars do roaring business
