Snatch Land Rover
Encyclopedia
The Snatch Land Rover is a protected patrol vehicle, based around the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis, intended for general patrolling in low-threat areas and is the successor to the Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK). The vehicle was developed for use in the Northern Ireland area of operations in 1992, for use in rural patrolling and providing some degree of small arms protection for occupants and a limited level of protection from Improvised Explosive Devices and off-route mines.
The Snatch is one of a range of vehicles which remains in use in Northern Ireland as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan operational areas.
Use of the vehicle has been the subject of criticism as a consequence of a number of kinetic attacks which have exceeded the level of protection available, leading to occupant deaths.
Heavy Duty Chassis, a militarised version of the Defender 110 (similar to the Land Rover Wolf
). It was originally procured for use in Northern Ireland
by the British Army
. and was first introduced in 1992.
Officially designated, Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), the vehicle is more widely known by its informal title, the "Snatch", even in official documentation. It is believed to have acquired the name from its use in the Troubles
, when it was the preferred vehicle for "snatch squads" used in raids to capture suspects.
The "Snatch" was the first factory modified Land Rover to be used in Northern Ireland, replacing a series of ad hoc conversions including protected Airportable Land Rover (Land Rover 1/2 ton Lightweight
) and 109" (known as the "piglet", being a smaller version of the Humber Pig
armoured personnel carrier) then widely used by British Forces in Northern Ireland.
Manufactured as the CAMAC CAV 100 by NP Aerospace, the "Snatch" conversion was developed with the aid of Ricardo, and is fitted with CAMAC composite armour
to offer the crew protection against kinetic energy projectiles and, to a very limited degree, against explosive devices. Its rated "combat weight" (without crew and weapons) is 3,050 kg.
Six versions have been produced, the first being the original Snatch-1, equipped with a V8 petrol engine. Nearly 1,000 were produced, with 278 being "desertised" and reclassified as the Snatch-1.5. Most were upgraded to a second variant standard, either the Snatch-2 12v, LHD, the basic training variant; the Snatch-2A 24v, RHD, "Rest of World variant"; or the Snatch-2B 24v, RHD - the N. Ireland variant. These later versions were retro-fitted with "300 Tdi" diesel engines and the 2A is also fitted with air conditioning.
A number of Snatch 2 are being further upgraded to the Snatch Vixen standard with chassis and drivetrain enhancements for a higher GVW.
When deployed, the vehicles are often fitted with Electronic countermeasures
electronic suites, which are designed to prevent certain types of improvised explosive device
s (IEDs) being triggered, and Bowman radio communications
.
Later concerns were raised in Parliament, presenting comparison with the U.S. Marine Corps deployment of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Cougar
, which appeared to have provided more protection. The conservative peer Lord Astor of Hever
raising the comparison and inviting comment. In response the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson
, acknowledged that the Snatch was inappropriate but identified that trade-offs around protection and mobility were required, as well as highlighting previous maintainability issues with an earlier version of the Cougar. Similar issues were then reported in a Sunday Telegraph opinion piece and other news outlets. These also recognised the need for trade-off decisions to be made around posture and mobility.
Media reporting continued to escalate the topic whilst parliamentary dialogue continued.
Four families of servicemen killed in Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and Afghanistan are to sue the Ministry of Defence, as reported by the BBC on June 19th 2009. Since 2003, some 37 UK personnel have been killed while using the vehicles.
The use of the Snatch in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused troops to name it a "Mobile Coffin".
and the Bulldog, based on the FV432
, were increased. New vehicles, the Mastiff (6×6) and Ridgback (4×4), based on the Cougar, which is produced by the US firm Force Protection Inc
, are under procurement. Some of these vehicles have been delivered and deployed to theatre. The UK MoD is also procuring 400 Panther CLV
4×4 vehicles in the Command and Liaison role. Mine and IED protection are prime features on this vehicle. In September 2010, Force Protection Europe, developer of the Occelot light armored vehicle, has been selected as the preferred bidder in U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) program. According to FPE, the first Ocelot vehicles are expected to be available for the training of UK forces in 2011. The initial phase will require up to 400 new vehicles to be delivered by 2010-2011. FPE won this competition against the all-British Supacat group, offering the Supacat Protected Vehicle (SPV) SPV-400. The Ocelot has an approximate gross vehicle weight of only 16,500 pounds. Its cabin is made of a protective pod, made of advanced composite materials incorporating Formula One racing technology. Critical components such as the engine, fuel tank and transmission are contained in the V-shaped armored ‘spine’ that deflects potential blast away from the pod, thus protecting the occupants and critical key components.
, announced on the 6 March 2010, during his surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan, that the Snatch Land Rover would be replaced by a new "light patrol vehicle". This new vehicle was revealed by the Ministry of Defence as the Ocelot
on 22 September 2010.
of the vehicle is a component of the Talisman route clearing system intended to counter IED attack. The vehicle is used to forward mount a sensor suite to avoid the need for EOD operators to dismount.
The Snatch is one of a range of vehicles which remains in use in Northern Ireland as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan operational areas.
Use of the vehicle has been the subject of criticism as a consequence of a number of kinetic attacks which have exceeded the level of protection available, leading to occupant deaths.
Overview
The Snatch is based on the Land RoverLand Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
Heavy Duty Chassis, a militarised version of the Defender 110 (similar to the Land Rover Wolf
Land Rover Wolf
The Land Rover Wolf is a military utility vehicle in service with UK Armed Forces and the Dutch Marine Corps. The vehicle is famous for being the primary utility vehicle of the British Army....
). It was originally procured for use in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. and was first introduced in 1992.
Officially designated, Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), the vehicle is more widely known by its informal title, the "Snatch", even in official documentation. It is believed to have acquired the name from its use in the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, when it was the preferred vehicle for "snatch squads" used in raids to capture suspects.
The "Snatch" was the first factory modified Land Rover to be used in Northern Ireland, replacing a series of ad hoc conversions including protected Airportable Land Rover (Land Rover 1/2 ton Lightweight
Land Rover 1/2 ton Lightweight
The Lightweight 1/2 ton was a British military vehicle supplied by Land Rover.-History:In the early 1960s both the Royal Marines, then largely based on commando carriers, and the British Army required a vehicle that could be carried by air...
) and 109" (known as the "piglet", being a smaller version of the Humber Pig
Humber Pig
The Humber Pig was a lightly-armoured truck used by the British Army from the 1950s until the 1990s. The Pig was also used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for a short period during the late 1960s and early 1970s, who painted their Pigs in Admiralty Grey, rather than the standard Army Deep Bronze...
armoured personnel carrier) then widely used by British Forces in Northern Ireland.
Manufactured as the CAMAC CAV 100 by NP Aerospace, the "Snatch" conversion was developed with the aid of Ricardo, and is fitted with CAMAC composite armour
Composite armour
Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different material such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armour are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration...
to offer the crew protection against kinetic energy projectiles and, to a very limited degree, against explosive devices. Its rated "combat weight" (without crew and weapons) is 3,050 kg.
Six versions have been produced, the first being the original Snatch-1, equipped with a V8 petrol engine. Nearly 1,000 were produced, with 278 being "desertised" and reclassified as the Snatch-1.5. Most were upgraded to a second variant standard, either the Snatch-2 12v, LHD, the basic training variant; the Snatch-2A 24v, RHD, "Rest of World variant"; or the Snatch-2B 24v, RHD - the N. Ireland variant. These later versions were retro-fitted with "300 Tdi" diesel engines and the 2A is also fitted with air conditioning.
A number of Snatch 2 are being further upgraded to the Snatch Vixen standard with chassis and drivetrain enhancements for a higher GVW.
When deployed, the vehicles are often fitted with Electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
electronic suites, which are designed to prevent certain types of improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s (IEDs) being triggered, and Bowman radio communications
Bowman (communications system)
Bowman is the name of the tactical communications system used by the British Armed Forces.The Bowman C4I system consists of a range of HF radio, VHF radio and UHF radio sets designed to provide secure integrated voice, data services to dismounted soldiers, individual vehicles and command HQs up to...
.
Criticism of vehicle use
Use of the vehicle has been the subject of criticism by the media, politicians and the families of some casualties in both the Afghan and Iraqi areas of British operations. This criticism was visible in the public domain from around 2005 with media claims that civil servants of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development should not use the vehicles.Later concerns were raised in Parliament, presenting comparison with the U.S. Marine Corps deployment of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Cougar
Cougar (vehicle)
The Cougar is an armored fighting vehicle designed to be resistant to anti-vehicle mines and improvised munitions.It is a family of armored vehicles produced by Force Protection Inc, which manufactures ballistic and mine-protected vehicles. The automotives are integrated by Spartan Motors...
, which appeared to have provided more protection. The conservative peer Lord Astor of Hever
William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor
William Waldorf Astor, 4th Viscount Astor is a British businessman and politician who sits as an elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords.-Biography:...
raising the comparison and inviting comment. In response the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson
Paul Drayson, Baron Drayson
Paul Rudd Drayson, Baron Drayson PC is a British businessman, amateur racing driver and politician. He was Minister of Science in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills until May 2010, where he replaced Ian Pearson. In June 2009 he was additionally appointed as Minister of State for...
, acknowledged that the Snatch was inappropriate but identified that trade-offs around protection and mobility were required, as well as highlighting previous maintainability issues with an earlier version of the Cougar. Similar issues were then reported in a Sunday Telegraph opinion piece and other news outlets. These also recognised the need for trade-off decisions to be made around posture and mobility.
Media reporting continued to escalate the topic whilst parliamentary dialogue continued.
Four families of servicemen killed in Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and Afghanistan are to sue the Ministry of Defence, as reported by the BBC on June 19th 2009. Since 2003, some 37 UK personnel have been killed while using the vehicles.
The use of the Snatch in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused troops to name it a "Mobile Coffin".
Procurement of additional vehicles
The MoD is currently procuring a number of vehicles with increased levels of protection, although reduced mobility, to supplement the vehicle fleets in Afghanistan and Iraq. Existing orders for the Pinzgauer VectorPinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
The Pinzgauer is a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD and 6WD military utility vehicles. They were manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by BAE Systems Land & Armaments. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named...
and the Bulldog, based on the FV432
FV432
The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield...
, were increased. New vehicles, the Mastiff (6×6) and Ridgback (4×4), based on the Cougar, which is produced by the US firm Force Protection Inc
Force Protection Inc
Force Protection, Inc. is a manufacturer of ballistic- and blast-protected vehicles which have been used in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and other hot spots around the world.-Company:...
, are under procurement. Some of these vehicles have been delivered and deployed to theatre. The UK MoD is also procuring 400 Panther CLV
Iveco LMV
Iveco LMV is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries.After its adoption by the Italian Army under the name VTLM Lince , it won the “FCLV” competition of the British Army as the Panther and has been adopted by the armies of Belgium, Croatia, Norway, Russia...
4×4 vehicles in the Command and Liaison role. Mine and IED protection are prime features on this vehicle. In September 2010, Force Protection Europe, developer of the Occelot light armored vehicle, has been selected as the preferred bidder in U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) program. According to FPE, the first Ocelot vehicles are expected to be available for the training of UK forces in 2011. The initial phase will require up to 400 new vehicles to be delivered by 2010-2011. FPE won this competition against the all-British Supacat group, offering the Supacat Protected Vehicle (SPV) SPV-400. The Ocelot has an approximate gross vehicle weight of only 16,500 pounds. Its cabin is made of a protective pod, made of advanced composite materials incorporating Formula One racing technology. Critical components such as the engine, fuel tank and transmission are contained in the V-shaped armored ‘spine’ that deflects potential blast away from the pod, thus protecting the occupants and critical key components.
Replacement
Former British Prime Minister, Gordon BrownGordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, announced on the 6 March 2010, during his surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan, that the Snatch Land Rover would be replaced by a new "light patrol vehicle". This new vehicle was revealed by the Ministry of Defence as the Ocelot
Ocelot (vehicle)
The Force Protection Ocelot is an armoured vehicle that is scheduled to replace the United Kingdom's Snatch Land Rover with British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq...
on 22 September 2010.
Future
Earlier this year it was confirmed that an unmanned variantUnmanned ground vehicle
An unmanned ground vehicle is a military robot used to augment the soldiers capability. This type of robot is generally capable of operating outdoors and over a wide variety of terrain, functioning in place of humans....
of the vehicle is a component of the Talisman route clearing system intended to counter IED attack. The vehicle is used to forward mount a sensor suite to avoid the need for EOD operators to dismount.