[url]http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20020222suvarmor0222bnp6.asp[/url]

You can try to solve traffic congestion with new ramps, lane widening or expressway construction, but deep down every motorist caught in gridlock wants a car with a .50-caliber machine gun.


 


Lee Dundon of Thales AFV lines up a .50 caliber machine gun that pops up from the back of the Viper Security Vehicle, a modified GMC utility truck. Checking out the vehicle during a display at the Butler Country Club on Wednesday is Sgt. Ashley Franks of the British Army. (Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette)
A Butler company now offers that, but it's aimed at the professional security market.

The Viper, a modified GMC truck, is being sold to governments and heads of state for "specialty military requirements, peacekeeping missions and conflict-other-than-war scenarios," according to company literature. Ibis Tek vice president John Buckner said at a display of the system Wednesday night at Butler Country Club in Penn Township that it could be used to patrol nuclear plants or ride with motorcades running the risk of attack.

The company integrated the gun, its lift system and sensors, into the truck.

The weapon could knock down a target about the size of a human head from 600 yards away, according to Buckner. But it's carefully hidden in the back compartment of the car, where it can be deployed within 10 seconds.

"Tell me this doesn't look like a fishing truck," said Buckner.

"You don't want to show the weapon when you're driving down the middle of the street," said Tom Buckner, president of Ibis Tek. "It's not a popular thing to do."

Touted as a homeland security vehicle, the Viper, costing $450,000 without gas or ammunition, seats three. When danger strikes, the passenger in the shotgun seat turns on a thermal imaging camera and uses a joystick to lock onto a target.

Three have been sold to the Royal Guard Brigade of Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Department of Energy has also expressed interest, according to John Buckner.

Now that's my kind of RV! [beer]

450K does not fit my budget...

Well!, A Truck (Pick-um-up) with a .50BMG! Seems to Me I've seen this idea somewhere before..............About 50 years ago! It was a little known thing called WWII!! Geesh!
Same Stuff, New Wrapper....


[rant-mode on] [soapbox]
Ya know, It really Urk's Me to hear time and time again, that some Top Brass Big-Wig is ready to put old "Ma-Duce" in to retirement. JMB (We Are Not Worthy!) just about made Her timeless. She's, what?, 70 years old? and still the "Standard" by witch others are Judged by. God Bless John Moses Browning!
[/rant-mode off] [soapbox]

Tall Shadow

Won't [size=3][b]Daimler-[/size=3][size=1][/b]chrysler [/size=1] protest the trademark infringement of the use of the word "Viper" in connection with a motor vehicle?