Peru initiates selection process for elite police's new armored vehicles.

According to InfoDefensa on January 12, 2024, the Peruvian Ministry of Interior has initiated a selection process for the acquisition of three 4x4 armored vehicles for the Subunit of Tactical Actions (SUAT) within the Peruvian National Police. This procurement is seen as a crucial part of the Public Investment Project for the Enhancement and Expansion of Urban Tactical Division - SUAT services in Lima Metropolitan and Callao.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The SUAT is known to use the UR-416 armored vehicle, which is based on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog chassis. (Picture source: Razonyfuerza/Jriverac)

The SUAT (Sub Unidad de Acciones Tácticas) is a specialized tactical unit within the Peruvian National Police (PNP). It consists of police officers who receive extensive training in the use of firearms, both short and long-range, as well as in resistance, force, and strategy operations during emergency situations, such as hostage rescues, kidnappings, and high-risk incidents. The SUAT is responsible for executing, planning, and coordinating special police operations with technical and tactical precision in high-risk and crisis situations.

The headquarters of the SUAT is located in La Perla, and their training takes place at the base of the Dirección de Operaciones Especiales (Dinoes), to which they belong. Their training includes shooting exercises, assault on installations, and emphasizes skills such as speed, intelligence, and communication. To join the SUAT, an officer must meet specific requirements, including being an officer or non-commissioned officer of the Peruvian National Police, completing a 10-week training course called the 'Curso de Técnicas y Tácticas de Combate Cercano,' and successfully completing the course, which typically has a high dropout rate.

The SUAT was established on November 4, 1988, in response to the activities of Sendero Luminoso. Over the years, the unit has specialized in handling hostage situations, such as the 2010 rescue operation at the BBVA bank in Gamarra, which resulted in the death of the hostage-taker. Currently, the SUAT focuses on apprehending individuals involved in criminal activities.

The purchase contract linked to the acquisition of these new armored vehicles for the SUAT includes a comprehensive five-year preventive maintenance program for the three 4x4 armored vehicles or until they have covered 100,000 kilometers. Additionally, the minimum technical warranty for these vehicles must extend for 60 months or 100,000 kilometers. The delivery timeline for these vehicles is set at 270 calendar days, and the selection process is scheduled for February 5th, 2024.

The selection process outlines a series of rigorous evaluation criteria that the chosen contractor must meet. These include a technical commission conducting an inspection at the contractor's facility to verify compliance with specifications, a 4x4 test drive, assessment of the CCTV system, verification of basic police equipment and pressurization, ballistic protection evaluation in accordance with standard ballistic protection norms EN 1063 (CEN BR7) and Stanag 4569 or AEP-55 at a certified laboratory.

Furthermore, once the vehicles arrive in Peru, the contractor will be responsible for conducting a test drive and assessing the operability of one of the three vehicles in a location situated at an altitude of 4,800 meters above sea level.

The technical specifications for the designated Multipurpose 4x4 Off-Road Armored Tactical Vehicle require that it be manufactured no earlier than 2023, have 4x4 traction, be brand new, utilize an original 4x4 vehicle chassis, have four side doors and one single or double rear door, feature a roof hatch, two front windshields, eight lateral viewing areas including doors, armored underbelly, two front and two rear towing hooks.

Moreover, the vehicle must incorporate exterior metal grab handles on the sides and rear, serve as a crisis response and hostage rescue armored tactical vehicle, have hydraulic steering, left-hand drive, matte black paint, a minimum range of 600 kilometers, a maximum turning radius of 13 meters, and a minimum capacity for ten persons, including the driver and operator.

The vehicles must also be equipped with support for M4 5.56x45mm rifles and a platform for MP5 9x19mm pistols, a 100-watt police siren with four sound options, a police roof light, an interior and exterior intercommunication system, a cabin gas extraction system, a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) or pressurization system, a turbocharged diesel engine with an intercooler, minimum power of 300 HP, a minimum torque of 950 Nm, eight cylinders, a displacement between 6,500 and 7,000 CC, electronic fuel injection control, radiator with CEN BR7 ballistic protection, a minimum 120-liter fuel tank, and CEN BR7 ballistic protection as well as Euro IV emissions for exhaust gases.

Additionally, the vehicles must be equipped with either manual or automatic transmission, 4x4 Hi and 4x4 Lo traction options, a minimum rear axle with locking differential or a minimum limited-slip differential on the rear axle, a maximum length of seven meters, a maximum width of 2.5 meters, maximum height of 2.9 meters, minimum ground clearance of 230 millimeters, minimum towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, maximum total weight of 15,000 kilograms, a fording capacity of 700 millimeters, ability to traverse lateral slopes of 30% and frontal slopes of 60%, an entry angle of 33 degrees, and an exit angle of 30 degrees, among other specifications.