Snatch Land Rover

Land Rover Snatch
The Land Rover Snatch-Vixen vehicle on show at the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) Equipment Demonstration in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Production history
Unit cost	£50,000 + armour
No. built	991
Variants	Snatch-1.5 Snatch-2 12v, LHD Snatch-2A 24v, RHD Snatch-2B 24v, RHD
Specifications
Weight	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)
Speed	60 miles per hour (97 km/h)

The Snatch Land Rover is a protected patrol vehicle based on the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis. Intended for general patrolling in low-threat areas, it is the successor to the Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK). The vehicle was developed in 1992 for use in Northern Ireland. It provides some degree of small arms protection for occupants and a limited level of protection from Improvised Explosive Devices and off-route mines.

The vehicle has been criticized as occupant deaths have resulted from kinetic attacks which exceeded the level of protection available.

The Snatch is based on the Land Rover Heavy Duty Chassis, a militarised version of the Defender 110 (similar to the Land Rover Wolf). It was originally procured for use in Northern Ireland by the British Army. and was first introduced in 1992.

Officially designated, Truck Utility Medium (TUM) with Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), the vehicle is more widely known by its informal title, the "Snatch", even in official documentation. It is believed to have acquired the name from its use in the Troubles, when it was the preferred vehicle for snatch squads: soldiers trained to deal with demonstrations by picking out and arresting suspected ringleaders.

The "Snatch" was the first factory modified Land Rover to be used in Northern Ireland, replacing a series of ad hoc conversions including protected Airportable Land Rover (Land Rover 1/2 ton Lightweight) and 109" (known as the "piglet", being a smaller version of the Humber Pig armoured personnel carrier) then widely used by British Forces in Northern Ireland.

Manufactured as the CAMAC CAV 100 by NP Aerospace, the "Snatch" conversion was developed with the aid of Ricardo, and is fitted with CAMAC composite armour to offer the crew protection against kinetic energy projectiles and, to a very limited degree, against explosive devices. Its rated "combat weight" (without crew and weapons) is 3,050 kg.