Ricardo creates high quality, cost-effective special vehicles for the world’s armed forces that are based both on bespoke concepts and on the adaptation of existing platforms to meet the required levels of robustness and in-field serviceability. The company has already designed and constructed a fleet of WMIK light attack Land Rovers and the all-new Foxhound vehicles, both of which are in successful ongoing use by the British Army.
Ricardo’s modification/adaptation process demonstrates a militarised version of Ford’s Ranger, to show how a workhorse can offer a highly cost-effective multi-role mode of transport for defence and other security-related applications. The general service Ranger Concept created by Ricardo is intended to be available with a range of powertrain options, including Ford’s powerful and refined 210bhp 2.0-litre EcoBlue Bi-turbo diesel powertrain, which produces high torque for excellent load-lugging capabilities, mated to the company’s 10-speed automatic transmission for easy, and cost-effective driving.
Key features of the adaptation include a rollover protection system; a ring mounted weapon system, similar to that used in the WMIK; an armoured ballistic underfloor and armoured glass; lightweight but heavy-duty front and rear bumpers; skid plates for the radiator, powertrain and fuel tank; rock sliders and improved wading/fording protection; NATO IRR paint/camouflage and 4-point seat harnesses. In addition, its 24V electrical system is enhanced to provide the power requirements and EMC protection expected of modern defence vehicle applications, while the chassis can be equipped additionally with upgraded springs, dampers, brakes, heavy-duty wheels and all-terrain tyres, offering greater ride height and more versatile towing capabilities. In delivering the project, Ricardo has worked closely with Polaris Government and Defence, in particular for support in the areas of onboard power management and C4i (command, control, communications, computers and intelligence) integration.
Paul Tarry, special vehicles director, Ricardo, stated: “Our company is pleased to have created this general service demonstrator based on the Ranger vehicle. The adaptation of existing and well-proven automotive platforms for defence roles provides an opportunity to deliver a robust, fit-for-purpose and highly cost-effective package that is easy to maintain, benefitting as it does from an established international supply chain of parts and service.
He continued: “It is also crucial in such adaptations to engineer a solution that meets the exacting requirements of the intended applications; even the most robust of commercially available vehicles is unlikely to meet this threshold without careful, role-specific adaptation of the type that Ricardo is placed ideally to provide. The militarised Ranger that we have created, with the support of Polaris Government and Defence, thus demonstrates the flexibility of this robust and versatile platform – as developed, re-engineered and re-imagined to fulfil multiple defence roles in an effective and very cost-efficient manner.”
