Ford Police Interceptors Can Now Withstand Armor-Piercing Bullets

The Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle may look like pimped out Taurus and Explorer but the similarities are only skin-deep. The pursuit-rated vehicles have specially tuned heavy duty suspension, all-wheel drive and a choice of 365-hp 3.5L EcoBoost or 305-hp 3.7L V6 engines. What’s more interesting is that the Police Interceptors can now be fitted with US Department of Justice standard Type IV ballistic protection.

The Type III protection commonly found in the front doors of pursuit-rated police cars in the United States are specially designed panel inserts which can stop handgun rounds and non-armor piercing rifle rounds up to 7.62 x 51 mm NATO M80 ball ammunition. These ballistic inserts however aren’t effective in stopping high-velocity rounds (commonly called armor-piercing bullets).

The Type IV ballistic plates are designed to stop .30 caliber armor piercing rounds with a specified mass of 10.8 g and traveling at 878 m/s ± 9.1 m/s. This new ballistic panel from Ford is made of a lightweight ceramic with a tight-weave aramid fabric backing. The ceramic plate is designed to take a hit from a high-velocity bullet, shatter the round and dissipate the force. Meanwhile, the fabric stops any fragments from penetrating the cabin. Ford said the Type IV standard plates will add nearly 40 kg to each door.

While shootouts with criminals using high-velocity rounds are still rare, Ford said it is becoming more common. “Officers globally told us they needed protection from armor piercing ammunition and we added increased ballistic protection to an already great product,” said Arie Groeneveld, chief engineer of Ford Police Interceptors. The new panels are also a consideration in dealing with terrorists.

Ford will take orders for this new protective panel starting today. Watch the demo video as reported by AP here.