General Atomics

UTAC Special Vehicles produces 1,000th armoured vehicle

UTAC Special Vehicles has reached the milestone of producing its 1,000th armoured vehicle at the division’s headquarters at Millbrook, Bedfordshire, UK.



Image courtesy UTAC Special Vehicles

 
The milestone represents more than a decade of developing, engineering and producing civilian armoured vehicles for specialist operational requirements, combining advanced protection technologies with rigorous automotive development and testing.
 
UTAC Special Vehicles’ armoured vehicle production, based at Millbrook Proving Ground, began in 2012 with a programme for Vauxhall Motors. This lead to the creation of the Armoured Vehicles department.
 
The first programme laid the foundations for UTAC’s expertise in integrating advanced ballistic and blast protection technologies into production vehicle architectures, leading to expanded activities and new collaborations with  Škoda UK.


 
The collaboration with Škoda UK became UTAC’s first programme to achieve full certification for both ballistic and blast protection, while also introducing hot-formed armour technology into its solution.
 
In 2021 UTAC Special Vehicles launched its next civilian armoured vehicle programme based on one of the world’s most recognised platforms for durability, reliability and vehicle armouring – the Toyota Land Cruiser.



This programme reinforced UTAC’s commitment to combining advanced protection systems with modern vehicle engineering, supported by comprehensive automotive validation and testing at the UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground.
 
Alongside these production programmes, UTAC Special Vehicles also designs and manufactures a number of highly specialised, low-volume armoured vehicles tailored to unique operational and customer requirements. These bespoke projects showcase the flexibility, adaptability and technical depth of the team across a diverse range of vehicle platforms and mission profiles.
 
Kirsty Andrew, Vice President, UTAC UK said: “Producing the 1,000th armoured vehicle is a significant achievement for UTAC Special Vehicles and a testament to the expertise, innovation and dedication of the team. Over more than a decade, they  have continuously evolved their capabilities to deliver advanced armoured mobility that combines protection, engineering excellence and rigorous automotive validation. They are looking forward to building on this legacy in developing the next generation of specialist vehicles.”
 
As global demand for specialist protected mobility solutions continues to evolve, UTAC Special Vehicles remains focused on advancing its capabilities, supporting customers with innovative engineering solutions, and continuing its role in the development of next-generation armoured vehicles.

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