Ford Police Interceptor Stops .30cal Armor Piercing Rounds

Ford has announced a new optional armor that meets US DoJ Type IV standard for ballistic protection. The new armor plating is in the doors of the vehicles and can stop all sorts of armor piercing rounds. The armor is available as an option on Ford police sedan and utility vehicles and is an upgrade to the Type III armor plating previously available.

The new panels make these the first vehicles factory equipped with this level of protection. The DoJ standards specify to meet Type IV specs, “Type IV hard armor or plate inserts shall be tested in a conditioned state with .30 caliber armor piercing (AP) bullets (U.S. Military designation M2 AP) with a specified mass of 10.8 g (166 gr) and a velocity of 878 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2880 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).”

Ford also fits its police vehicles with special brakes, and suspension and special interiors to suit the job. Police vehicles also have a 75 mph rear crash test rating and other special features.