Snatch Land Rover facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Land Rover Snatch
The Land Rover Snatch-Vixen vehicle on show at the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) Equipment Demonstration in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Type	Armored SUV
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Production history
Unit cost	£50,000 + armour
Produced	1992–
No. built	991
Variants	Snatch-1.5 Snatch-2 12v, LHD Snatch-2A 24v, RHD Snatch-2B 24v, RHD
Specifications
Mass	4,050 kilograms (8,930 lb)
Length	4.55 metres (14 ft 11 in)
Width	1.79 metres (5 ft 10 in)
Height	2.03 metres (6 ft 8 in)
Main armament	none – personal weapons carried by "top cover"
Engine	Land Rover 300 Tdi engine 111 horsepower (83 kW)
Power/weight	37 hp/tonne
Suspension	Wheel 4×4
Operational range	510 kilometres (320 mi)
Maximum speed	60 miles per hour (97 km/h)

The Snatch Land Rover is a special kind of armored car. It's built on the strong frame of a Land Rover Defender 110. This vehicle was designed in 1992 for patrols in areas where the danger wasn't very high. It was first used in Northern Ireland.

The Snatch Land Rover offers some protection for the people inside. It can help shield them from small guns and certain types of homemade bombs. However, the vehicle has faced criticism. This is because some people were hurt or died when attacks were stronger than the vehicle's protection.

What is the Snatch Land Rover?

The Snatch Land Rover is based on a tough Land Rover frame. This frame is a military version of the Defender 110. The British Army first started using it in 1992. It was brought in for duties in Northern Ireland.

Its official name is "Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK)". But most people, even in official papers, call it the "Snatch". People think it got this name because it was used by "snatch squads" during a time of conflict called the Troubles. These squads were soldiers trained to handle protests. They would pick out and arrest suspected leaders.

The "Snatch" was the first Land Rover made specifically for military use in Northern Ireland. Before this, other Land Rovers were changed by hand to add protection.

The Snatch was built by a company called NP Aerospace. They worked with Ricardo to develop it. The vehicle uses special composite armour to protect the crew. This armor helps against bullets and, to a small degree, against explosions. The vehicle weighs about 3,050 kilograms (without people or weapons).

Different Types of Snatch Vehicles

Six different versions of the Snatch Land Rover have been made.

• The first one was the Snatch-1. It had a V8 petrol engine.
• Almost 1,000 of these were made. About 278 were changed to work better in the desert and were called Snatch-1.5.
• Most of the early versions were updated to newer types. These include the Snatch-2 12v (used for training) and the Snatch-2A 24v (used around the world).
• The Snatch-2B 24v was made for use in Northern Ireland.
• These newer versions have "300 Tdi" diesel engines. The 2A model also has air conditioning.

Some Snatch 2 vehicles are being made even stronger. These are called the Snatch Vixen. They have improved frames and parts to carry more weight.

When these vehicles are used, they often have special equipment. This includes systems that can stop certain types of homemade bombs from exploding. They also have Bowman radios for talking to others.

Why was the Snatch criticized?

The use of the Snatch vehicle has been talked about a lot. News groups, politicians, and families of those hurt in Iraq and Afghanistan have all shared their concerns. This became widely known in 2005. At that time, some government workers said the vehicles should not be used.

Later, questions were asked in Parliament, which is like the government's meeting place. People compared the Snatch to a vehicle used by the U.S. Marine Corps called the Cougar. The Cougar seemed to offer more protection. A politician named Lord Astor of Hever brought up this comparison.

The Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson, agreed that the Snatch wasn't always the best choice. However, he explained that there's a balance between how much protection a vehicle has and how easily it can move. He also mentioned that earlier versions of the Cougar had problems with upkeep. Other news reports also talked about this balance.

News about the issue kept growing, and discussions continued in Parliament. In 2009, the BBC reported that four families were planning to sue the Ministry of Defence. Their family members had been killed while using Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2003, about 37 UK military people had died in these vehicles.

Because of these dangers, troops in Afghanistan and Iraq sometimes called the Snatch a "Mobile Coffin".

Newer Protected Vehicles

By 2010, the Ministry of Defence was getting new vehicles. These vehicles had much better protection, even if they couldn't move as fast. They were meant to help the military in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Orders for vehicles like the Pinzgauer Vector and the Bulldog were increased. New vehicles called the Mastiff and Ridgback were also bought. These are based on the Cougar vehicle. Some of these new vehicles have already been sent to where they are needed.

The UK military also bought 420 Panther CLV vehicles. These are used for command and communication. They are designed with strong protection against mines and bombs.

In 2010, a company called Force Protection Europe was chosen to make a new light armored vehicle. This vehicle is called the Ocelot. It was expected to be ready for training UK forces in 2011. The Ocelot is much lighter than some other armored vehicles. Its main part, where people sit, is made of very strong materials. Important parts like the engine and fuel tank are protected in a special V-shaped armor. This design helps to push explosions away from the people inside.

Replacing the Snatch

In 2010, the former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced a plan. He said that the Snatch Land Rover would be replaced by a new "light patrol vehicle". This new vehicle was later shown by the Ministry of Defence. It was named the Ocelot on September 22, 2010.

In 2011, it was confirmed that a version of the Ocelot would be used without a driver. This unmanned vehicle is part of a system called Talisman. Talisman helps to clear roads and find bombs. The vehicle is known as the Panama remote controlled vehicle. It carries sensors to find dangers, so bomb disposal experts don't have to get out of their vehicles.

Images for kids

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  The Land Rover Snatch-Vixen vehicle on show at the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) Equipment Demonstration in Salisbury, Wiltshire.