Late last week, Ford announced
that it will now offer protection from armor-piercing rifle ammunition on its
Police Interceptors.
According to the automaker, this
makes the Interceptor the first police cars in the US to offer protection from
armor piercing .30 caliber rifle rounds which conforms to the Federal
Government's Type IV standard.
The armor panels are composed of two
layers.
The outward-facing layer is made
of ballistic-grade ceramic, which helps break up the bullet. The inward layer
is made of a synthetic aramid fiber.
Ford claims that its decision to
offer the optional panels is a direct result of feedback from law
enforcers.
"Officers globally told us
they needed protection from armor piercing ammunition and we added increased
ballistic protection to an already great product – that’s continuous
innovation," Ford Police Interceptor chief engineer Arie Groeneveld said
in a statement.
According to Ford, lower level
Type III standard panels which protect against rounds up to .30 caliber
non-armor piercing rounds are already in service with the police department
around the country.
The Ford currently offers its
Interceptor series as both a sedan and an SUV called the "Utility".
The sedan variant is based on the full-size Taurus while the Utility is based
on the Explorer. Both feature upgraded drivetrains, suspensions and law
enforcement-specific equipment.
The sedan and the SUV variants of
the Interceptor come available with all-wheel-drive and a 365 horsepower, 3.0
liter, EcoBoost V6 engine.
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