The Terradyne Gurkha: coming to a crisis near you

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/12/2015 (3873 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I spent time with some real military vehicles recently. I can’t show them to you, nor can I reveal any specific specs. I’m not hiding any special knowledge; they wouldn’t tell me because then they’d have to kill me, or something like that. You can go to Terradyne’s website for what’s publicly available, terradyneinc.com.

I’ll only say forget all the movies you’ve seen and the video games you’ve played because standing next to a row of these things in a 30,000-square metre warehouse, surrounded only by the ripping and wheezing of welding torches, is stunning. I was momentarily speechless. You can’t look at these and escape what they represent at the most basic level: war.

Terradyne Armored Vehicles is a Canadian company in Markham, Ont. It has been supplying military and law enforcement around the world with armoured vehicles since 2011. In late 2014, it launched a civilian version of its military Gurkha truck.

Military and military-like vehicles have been mainstream since Willys Jeeps first found their way onto our roads. But those Jeeps (and today’s Jeeps) would be swallowed whole by these incarnations.

The first time I saw a Hummer H1 thundering down a highway more than 20 years ago, its elbows high, leaving nary a whisper of room at the edges of its lane, I remember thinking, “Now, that looks stupid.” I didn’t understand then (and still don’t, to be honest) the need for so much Schwarzenegger swagger. It was reined in a little in subsequent versions, but pretending it wasn’t supposed to be a war-like vessel was like spraying air freshener in an outhouse.

Terradyne manufactures vehicles that are exported all over the world. The vehicles start life as either a Ford F-450 or F-550 and are rebuilt from the chassis up. Units are handmade to customer specification, with the firm turning out three units a week, employing two shifts.

Everything about these vehicles is complicated, from weight distribution to maintenance availability to the vast range of weather and landscapes in which they must be able to perform. With an anticipated lifespan of 15 to 20 years, they are expected to last.

While there are competitors in the category, Terradyne is the only manufacturer that complies with Transport Canada’s strict testing guidelines. The company also does its own testing — such as putting a bomb under the rear axle. Pricing starts at about $325,000, though don’t bother trying to order one for British Columbia, Alberta or Manitoba, where fortified vehicles for civilians are outlawed, though you could purchase a non-armoured version of the RPV.

While their military applications are a given, the debate on their presence in more police forces is getting heated. Showing up in something so overwhelmingly aggressive outside of a war zone sends a distinct message. The Winnipeg Police Service recently acquired a Terradyne Gurkha. It’s not the only one, citing officer safety after the killings in Moncton, N.B., last year. With increasing fire power in civilian hands, it’s a tempting solution, but news clips from tinderbox situations such as in Ferguson, Mo., show police in armoured vehicles present an undeniable military, rather than police, presence. Your politics will probably form your opinion on that topic.

In the warehouse, I’m shown two panels of reinforced steel, the first hit multiple times with armour-piercing rounds and the second with a 20-mm Fragment Simulating Projectile (FSP) round. On each, the first layer has an entry hole, while the second layer has absorbed the round, leaving behind a raised metal pimple. They stop machine guns.

The foray into the civilian class of armoured vehicle is a recent venture. Starting in 2014, Terradyne began making available a street version: the RPV, built from a Ford F-450 chassis.

“We retain the OEM-designed geometry in the drivetrain and suspension components,” said sales manager Lucus Witzke. “We don’t exceed the front or rear Gross Axle Weight Ratings and we don’t alter the chassis to manage the added weight of the armoured body. The end result is a vehicle that performs within the OEM specifications, which is critical from a safety and reliability perspective.”

It also means original equipment manufacturer (OEM) limits are respected, hence the warranty stays in place.

Unlike their warrior big brothers, the civilian RPVs are bullet resistant, not bulletproof. This provides handgun and fire protection, and sections are made of things called transparent and opaque armour.

But what are they like? They’re actually pretty easy to drive. They have a remarkably normal turning radius, though stock wheels have been replaced with 41-inch monsters. It’s a two-piece military wheel (run-flats on the military version, bead lock on the civilian) that takes a top speed of 110 km/h. The company puts that as the top speed of the vehicle to respect the limits on the tires.

The base RPV weighs in at nearly 5,900 kilograms, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 7,480 kg. You can feel the weight as you drive, much as you would a large trailer. Noise from those huge tires is at full growl at around 80 km/h, but when you consider what you’re piloting, it’s surprisingly agile. The front of the body has been cut away to increase the approach angle, and there is a handy turret, should you be needing one.

The interior is stripped down according to a customer’s needs, but the company is happy to load in the rock-star requirements. Entertainment systems, custom paint colours — it’s all yours if you can start your budget at $280,000. Who buys these? A ballplayer is on the list, because it’s just the thing for the guy who has everything, and doesn’t want anyone to take it from him.

The vehicle is big and intimidating. A rear-view camera stays on all the time, so you can watch people behind you. Spying is fun. You also feel less guilty if you’re lumbering along a little, because people insist on sitting in your blind spot, staring.

Unlike the Hummers that followed the original, there is no pretence at de-hulking the Terradyne Gurkha RPV. The movie business is enthralled with them, and with a tab approaching $300K, don’t be surprised if that’s where you keep seeing them.

Unless you’re a rock star.

 

— Postmedia Network Inc. 2015