Ford Igarreta delivered first Militarized Rangers to Argentine Army.

The Argentine Army has chosen the Military Ranger developed by Ford Igarreta to replace the veteran Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the historic light vehicle that served in the Armed Forces for the last 40 years. In the race to find a replacement, the Igarreta Ranger won over the Militarized Hilux, developed by Toyota Argentina.

Ford Igarreta militarized Ranger (Picture source: Autoblog)

The Argentine Army took this decision three months ago, but the news was only confirmed this week, when Ford Igarreta delivered the first ten Militarized Rangers to the Boulogne Arsenal Battalion. According to reports from the government, these vehicles will be used for the transfer of health professionals and medical supplies in areas of difficult access, to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.

The first contacts were signer more than a year ago. The market targeted a "Technical" vehicle based on a standard pick-up adapted to the Army's needs. Work began on a prototype that was delivered for evaluation in mid-2019. The evaluation process took a little over a month, where the Army moved the unit to different locations, to make the corresponding tests. The purchase process took place in December 2019.

The tender was called to replace the old Mercedes-Benz G Class that was designed for military use in the German army. It is gasoline-powered and has permanent four-wheel drive. Ford’s development started from a commercial vehicle that has been adapted to carry out certain tasks or missions, hence its name "Technical Vehicle". The Army also considered the ease of maintenance, since it is very complex to keep imported vehicles operational. On the other hand, as it is a derivative of a pick-up manufactured and commercialized in Argentina, the maintenance logistics is greatly simplified, especially with the support of the Ford dealer network throughout the country.

Starting from the conventional Ford Ranger, the modifications concern the suspension, multipurpose rear box, external protections, electrical system, besides other elements such as support for weapons and radio equipment, nighttime running lights, etc. The modifications made are specifically for military use. They have no direct application in the civilian market.