Latest version for FOX APC light armoured vehicle personnel carrier from SVI South Africa 2809123.

The traditional way of armouring light commercial vehicles (LCV’s) is best described as the cube-in principle, where a combination of armour plating and glass is bolted into a standard vehicle cabin from the inside.

This method is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, there will always be a compromise on interior space because the armour is secured from the inside. Also, plates mounted to the “soft cab” create a serious weakness to the vehicle, which in the event of an attack or accident, will not be properly protected as the armouring offers no real structural integrity. The ballistic protection ability of an armoured vehicle should never be compromised, as that is its primary function – to keep its contents safe.

At AAD 2012, the FOX vehicle was based on the chassis of a standard Nissan NP300 4x4 cross-country vehicle but the armoured hull can be fitted to other chassis as the Toyota Land Cruiser 70. The “soft” components from the standard chassis have been removed for and replacing them with a purpose-built monocoque armoured hull, all the compromises of the cube-in approach are eliminated.

The FOX is protected against firing of small arms as the Russian assault rifle AK-47. The standard configuration of the FOX APC provides superior protection against these threats, while the ballistic protection can also be upgraded with add-on composite panels for specific applications.

The FOX shows at AAD 2012 was in three-door configuration but the SVI armour hull can be adapted from single cabs to station wagons. This means that the FOX can be used for a variety of functions including: Armed Reaction, Patrolling, Assets-in-Transit, Convoy Protection and Armoured Emergency Services.

With the use of standard civilian chassis vehicle, SVI provides with the FOX an armoured personnel carrier easy to maintain, as it is backed up by ample availability of standard spare parts.

The FOX vehicle can be equipped with 360° ring mount or light remotely weapon station armed with 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun for its self-protection.