4×4S.ORGTHE REGISTRY MILITARY KIT · ARMOUR
ArmourMilitary kitVery rare

Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), GRP applique armour

RUC Vehicle Engineering, Seapark · United Kingdom · 1970–1986

The first bolt-on armour kit for Land Rovers: glass-reinforced-plastic panels bolted over the bonnet, wings, doors, body sides, roof and rear doors of Series III Lightweights, 109s and 109 ambulances, with clear Makrolon polycarbonate over the side windows and a pull-up mesh or Makrolon grille shielding the windscreen. Introduced in the early 1970s by the British Army and RUC to stop nail bombs, low-velocity rounds and riot missiles, it took the kitted vehicle to about 2.5 tons and needed a Salisbury rear axle and heavier rear springs.

SourcesMore military kit
Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), GRP applique armour
Mick Bell (mickbellplans.com), Wikimedia Commons · unknown · source
1970–1986MADE—PERIOD PRICEVery rareRARITY3LAND ROVER MODELS5SOURCES

Description

The first bolt-on armour kit for Land Rovers: glass-reinforced-plastic panels bolted over the bonnet, wings, doors, body sides, roof and rear doors of Series III Lightweights, 109s and 109 ambulances, with clear Makrolon polycarbonate over the side windows and a pull-up mesh or Makrolon grille shielding the windscreen. Introduced in the early 1970s by the British Army and RUC to stop nail bombs, low-velocity rounds and riot missiles, it took the kitted vehicle to about 2.5 tons and needed a Salisbury rear axle and heavier rear springs.

Fitted to GS Lightweights and 109s, and to the 109 ambulance

Rarity. Improvised Northern Ireland kit withdrawn before the 110 APV of 1986; no complete original kits are known to be traded, survivors are museum and enthusiast rebuilds, so rarity rests on withdrawal and the absence of sale listings.

Record: 5 sources; designation recorded; no price recorded.

Specification

MAKERBritish Army / RUC workshops with Royal Navy GRP expertise, United Kingdom
DESIGNATION / PARTVehicle Protection Kit (VPK)
MADE1970–1986
RARITYVery rare — Improvised Northern Ireland kit withdrawn before the 110 APV of 1986; no complete original kits are known to be traded, survivors are museum and enthusiast rebuilds, so rarity rests on withdrawal and the absence of sale listings.
MATERIALGRP panels with polycarbonate (Makrolon) windows
PANELSbonnet, front wings, belly plate, door panels, side panels with polycarbonate windows, roof, rear door panels, lower rear panel, wheel arch panels, windscreen bottom panel, mesh over headlamps and beacons
PROTECTIONlow-velocity bullets, nail bombs, blast and riot missiles; not high-velocity rounds
KITTED WEIGHTabout 2.5 tons on the ambulance
CHASSIS CHANGESSalisbury rear axle, stronger rear springs

Fitment

LAND ROVER

LightweightSeries III 88Series III 109

OTHER MARQUES

Bedford MK (VPK 'Wendy House')

Fitted to GS Lightweights and 109s, and to the 109 ambulance

Variants

VPK ambulance1970s

Full GRP applique set for the 109 ambulance including mesh grilles over the door windows, headlamps and beacons

HV VPK ('Piglet')late 1970s-1994

Hardened steel bolt-on plates and armoured-glass windscreen replacing the GRP; see hv-vpk-piglet-armour

Imagery

Vehicle Protection Kit (VPK), GRP applique armour
unknown · Mick Bell (mickbellplans.com), Wikimedia Commons · commons.wikimedia.org · reference only, not reproduced under licence

Sources

emlra.org/articles/vehicles/the-vehicle-protection-kit-vpk-land-rover-in-northern-irelandemlra.org/articles/vehicles/the-vehicle-protection-kit-vpk-ambulancejoint-forces.com/land-rovers/42484-police-armoured-land-rovers-ulster-albummickbellplans.com/2020/04/10/land-rover-series-iii-truck-utility-1-2-ton-4x4-lightweight-with-vehicle-protection-kit-vpk-northern-ireland/thewargameswebsite.com/vehicle-protection-kit/Every source above was fetched and read when the record was made.