6.7 L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel 440 hp (446 PS; 328 kW) @ 2800 rpm
Power/weight
50 hp/ton
Transmission
Ford 6R140 6-speed
Suspension
Live axle
Operational range
Unknown
Maximum speed
90 mph (145 km/h),[4] "capable of highway speeds"[5]
The Lenco BearCat[6][7] is a wheeled SWAT vehicle designed for military and law enforcement use. It is in use by numerous[8] military forces and law enforcement agencies around the world.
History
Since 1981[9] the Massachusetts-based Lenco Industries, known as Lenco Armored Vehicles, has designed and manufactured armored vehicles for law enforcement, military, government and private security forces.[10] Lenco has produced more than 5,000 armored vehicles for use in more than 40 countries worldwide.[11][12]
The BearCat is used by numerous U.S. military and law enforcement agencies and is also used by all state and territory Police Tactical Groups in Australia with federal Australian Government funding.[5][13] The Bearcat is based on a Ford F-550 Super Duty commercial truck chassis with two available engines (the V10 Triton Gasoline and the 6.7L Turbo Diesel), and a six-speed automatic transmission.[14] The .5-1.5 inch thick mil spec steel armored bodywork is completed with .50 BMG rated[15] ballistic glass capable of multi-hits, blast-resistant floors, gunports, roof hatches/turret and agency specific equipment and/or modifications such as lights/sirens/battering ram/winches/thermal cameras and spot lights.[16]
The first BearCat was designed and completed in August 2001 as a spin-off product of the larger B.E.A.R. [nl], with input from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) as an updated and improved version of their military surplus Cadillac Gage Ranger "PeaceKeeper" armored vehicles.[11]
Usage
BearCats are typically referred to by law enforcement agencies as being "armored rescue vehicles"[17] with their primary use being to transport tactical (SWAT/Special Reaction Teams) officers to and from hostile situations and to assist with the recovery and protection of civilians in harm's way during terrorist threats, hostage incidents, or encounters with large gatherings of aggressors.[18][19] The BearCat is designed to provide protection from a variety of small arms, explosives and IED threats.[18] Like its larger cousin, the B.E.A.R. [nl], the BearCat is able to be fitted with the "MARS" Mobile Adjustable Ramp System which allows tactical officers to gain entry to elevated platforms such as second story windows or aircraft.[20][21]
Lenco BearCats have been credited with saving the lives of officers in armed confrontations on numerous occasions. In 2010 in Athens, Texas during a shootout with police, a man fired 36 rounds from a semi-automatic AK-47 rifle at a BearCat to little effect. Tyler PD SWAT Commander Rusty Jacks said that the BearCat "allowed officers to approach the house safely and protected them under heavy fire from a very high-powered rifle".[22] In June 2012 a BearCat, belonging to the Central Bucks Emergency Response Team, took 28 rounds from a "high-powered rifle" during a siege with no rounds penetrating the vehicle.[23] In November 2015, a BearCat was used by police to rescue civilians during the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting.[24] The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office BearCat was shot between four and seven times with a rifle during an incident on December 29, 2015. Sheriff Whetsel was quoted as saying the BearCat saved the Deputies' lives.[25] On June 12, 2016, a BearCat was used to breach Pulse nightclub after a gunman shot and killed 49 clubgoers and injured 53 others.
Variants
At present there are ten variants of the BearCat, some with unique features and others designed for specific purposes or customers.[12][26][27]
Medevac LE – armored medical evacuation vehicle (law enforcement) "MedCat" – equipped with two medical litters, oxygen tanks, a lighted work station, and compartments for medical supplies and gear storage.[28]
Medevac Mil – armored medical evacuation vehicle (military) "MedCat" – designed for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3), equipped with same features as the MedCat LE with four medical litters.[28]
EOD (Explosive ordnance disposal) – armored vehicle "BombCat" for bomb units with room for a large bomb disposal robot, with fold-down ramp and hydraulically controlled platform for deployment. Also can include roof-mounted zoom camera with scene lighting, thermal camera, CBRNE equipment, and advanced communications sensors upon request.[29][30]
The BearCat series is customizable with a variety of non-standard features depending on the customers' requirements. BearCats are able to be fitted with moveable elevated platform systems called the Liberator and ARC by Patriot3, Inc., to enable tactical units to access a variety of elevated structures such as multi-story buildings, ships at docks, or aircraft during high-risk hostage or terrorist situations. The LAPD fits one of its four armoured Lenco vehicles with one such system along with many other local and state law enforcement agencies.[3]
Some of the BearCat's features include:
emergency lights/sirens
rotating roof hatch
optional powered turrets with or without ballistic glass panels and blast shields
gun ports
electric winches
running boards
protection against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives (CBRNE)
BearCats of various configurations are in use by the following agencies and departments around the world with over 500 in use in the United States alone.[31]
National Police Corps - Multiple Lenco BEARs and Lenco BearCats in service with the Dienst Speciale Interventies (Special Intervention Service). A police service consisting of both military and police personnel, specialized in counter-terrorism ops, apprehension of high-value or high-risk individuals, aircraft hijackings and hostage situations. Also includes operators belonging to M-Squadron of NLMARSOF, special operations forces of the Netherlands Marine Corps, under DSI command for domestic counter-terrorism operations on Dutch soil, specialized in large-scale and complex interventions.[54]
^I-Nash, II-Searle, I-Ed, II-Alaric (2021). KURDISH ARMOR AGAINST ISIS: YPG tanks, technicals and AFV's in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-2019. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing. p. 28. ISBN9781472847584.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lenco BearCat.