Even though it was toward the back of the exhibit hall, it was hard to miss Oshkosh Defense 's new Tactical Protector Vehicle (TPV) at this year's International Association of Chiefs of Police show. It's an imposing vehicle.

The TPV is not imposing because of its size. It's a large vehicle compared to a passenger SUV, but it's actually smaller than some other tactical rescue vehicles designed for the police market. It's imposing because of how it looks. It looks like it's ready for serious business.

Which is no surprise. Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense (a division of the Oshkosh Corp.) has been making armored rolling stock for the U.S. military since 1918. In our current wars, the company makes a lot of tactical vehicles designed to deliver fully equipped operators into the hottest spots in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Oshkosh Defense TPV-the company's first tactical response vehicle for law enforcement-benefits from its manufacturer's long history of making military vehicles.

The TPV was built for urban or rural response. With a 116-inch wheelbase, a ground clearance of 13 inches, a width of 85 inches, and a governed speed of almost 75 mph, it can operate on almost any city street or rural road, and with optional four-wheel drive, it doesn't need roads.

If it meets an obstacle, the TPV may be able to go over it. Oshkosh Defense says the vehicle can climb 38 degrees on approach and 30 degrees on departure.

Oshkosh Defense designed the TPV to have a minimal footprint for a vehicle of its type. Yet it has space for four to eight fully equipped tactical officers, depending on seating configuration. Buyers can order the vehicle with bucket seats up front and two benches in the back or with four buckets.

Two distinct body styles of the TPV are available: the Transport and the Utility. The Transport model has a payload of 3,650 pounds, and the Utility model has a payload of 4,650 pounds. Both are built on Ford F550 chassis with 325-horsepower turbocharged V-8 engines. Four-wheel drive is available. By using a Ford chassis, Oshkosh Defense can offer buyers a bumper-to-bumper warranty.

The same Integrated Survivability System (ISS) armor is used on the TPV that Oshkosh Defense uses on its military vehicles. Buyers can specify NIJ-certified armor protection from Level I to Level IV. The toughest TPV configuration can stop multiple hits from 7.62mm ball ammo and even .50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Underbody armor with suspended seating systems is available for agencies that desire IED threat protection.

"The Oshkosh TPV is a purpose-built vehicle, designed to protect officers and the communities they serve," says Jack Reiff, Oshkosh Corp. program director, Defense. "The vehicle's profile is subtle yet commanding, and it offers the optimal balance of mobility, crew protection, and payload to meet the most rigorous law enforcement demands over a wide range of missions. Tactical officers can get in, get around, and gain control of any situation."

View our photo gallery of the Oshkosh TPV .

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