An internal security vehicle (ISV), also known as an armored security vehicle (ASV), is an
armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
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armoured car used for supporting contingency operations.
Design
Security vehicles are typically armed with a turreted
heavy machine gun
A heavy machine gun (HMG) is significantly larger than light, medium or general-purpose machine guns. HMGs are typically too heavy to be man-portable (carried by one person) and require mounting onto a weapons platform to be operably stable o ...
and auxiliary
medium machine gun
A medium machine gun (MMG), in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed machine gun firing a full-powered rifle cartridge, and is considered "medium" in weight (). Medium machine guns are light enough to be infantry-portable (as opposed to a ...
. The vehicle is designed to minimize firepower dead space and the vehicle's weapons can be depressed to a maximum of 12°.
Less-lethal
Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...
water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...
s and
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
cannons can provide suppressive fire in lieu of unnecessary deadly fire.
[{{cite book, title=Brassey's Encyclopedia of Land Forces and Warfare, year=1996, publisher=Brassey's, isbn=1-57488-087-X, pages=56, 57, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ipz0AzERg_MC&q=%22internal+security+vehicle%22, author=Franklin D. Margiotta, accessdate=21 May 2011]
The vehicle must be protected against weapons typical of riots. Protection from
incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, ...
s is achieved through coverage of the air intake and exhaust ports as well as a strong locking mechanism on the fuel opening. Turret and door locks prevent access to the interior of the vehicle by rioters. Vision blocks, ballistic glass and window shutters and outside
surveillance cameras
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly tr ...
allow protected observation from within the vehicle.
Wheeled 4×4 and 6×6 configurations are typical of security vehicles. Tracked security vehicles are often cumbersome and leave negative political connotations for being perceived as an imperial invading force.
Gallery
File:Carabinieri - Bae System RG-12.jpg, Italian Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
RG-12
The RG-12 (nicknamed 'Nyala') is a multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier with anti-personnel mine, grenade, fire bomb and small arms fire protection that is manufactured by Land Systems OMC (a business unit of BAE Systems) of South Afri ...
File:278th MP Company's new ASVs.jpg, US Army M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
The M1117 Guardian, also denoted Armored Security Vehicle (''ASV''), is an internal security vehicle based on the V-100 and V-150 Commando series of armored cars. It was developed in the late 1990s for service with the United States' Militar ...
File:Texas National Guardsmen exchange best practices with Burundi soldiers.jpg, Casspir
The Casspir is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that has been in use in South Africa since the 1980s. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport of troops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers an ...
South African ISV
File:GBGM5F Domenjod 160316.jpg, French Gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
VXB 170 (VBRG) ISVs
File:VBP Centaure-1.jpg, French VBP Centaure, the successor to the VRBG, in production since 2022.
References
See also
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Armored car (military)
A military armored (or armoured) car is a lightweight wheeled armored fighting vehicle, historically employed for reconnaissance, internal security, armed escort, and other subordinate battlefield tasks. With the gradual decline of mounted ca ...
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SWAT vehicle
A SWAT vehicle, also known as an armoured rescue vehicle, a vehicle used by police tactical units to respond to incidents. These are often non-military armored vehicles which offer protection to the passengers and can additionally be used to tran ...
Armoured fighting vehicles by type
Internal security vehicles
Paramilitary vehicles