War Zone/The Drive: US Special Operators Want a Super Vehicle They Can Disguise As Different Civilian Trucks
The trucks will have modular body kits that units can swap out to change their appearance to best blend in while operating in sensitive locations.
To give special operators’ a better option when they need to move around discreetly in foreign locales, U.S. Special Operations Command has purchased hundreds of modified commercial pickups and sport utility vehicles over the years. But with multiple different types from different manufacturers in service, this fleet has become increasingly complicated and expensive to maintain and now the command wants new, standardized vehicles that have a James Bond-esque ability to imitate to looks and sounds of the existing trucks.
In February 2018, representatives from the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) program office that oversees special operations vehicle development and procurement sat down with contractors to explain what they were looking for and get feedback about its proposed performance specifications for what they’re officially calling the Purpose Built Non-Standard Commercial Vehicle, or PB-NSCV. The Pentagon’s top special operations headquarters is hoping to hold a “vehicle rodeo” in early 2019, issue a formal request for proposals by the end of that year, and select a final design to replace some of its more than 500 existing vehicles in 2020. An existing $170 million contract to support the present fleet will end in 2023.
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WNU Editor: These vehicles are not going to be cheap.
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