Leaders of six countries at the SAARC Summit,currently on in Kathmandu, are using armoured, bulletproof cars sent to Nepal from India. Pakistan prime minster Nawaz Sharief refused one. Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan have no issues with India's bulletproof cars. As for prime minister Narendra Modi, two fully armoured bulletproof cars were airlifted to the Nepalese capital for his exclusive use.
So, what are these bulletproof cars India was gracious enough to help neighbour Nepal with? A security expert, on condition of anonymity, said they are specially outfitted BMW limousines, spacious in the inside, and fully protected from the outside. They can not only deflect bullets from an AK-47, but are also bombproof, their underbellies reinforced to withstand IED explosives planted on roads, and other terrain.
These bulletproof BMW looks the same as any other BMW on the road, except that when it comes to a crunch, with bullets flying, and explosives going boom-boom, they are capable of not only taking bullets and bombs unscathed, they also have more than sufficient horsepower to zip out of danger zone.
"These BMW has an armored version of its X5 sport-utility vehicle which it describes as AK-47-proof, is installed with special steel and reinforced, shatterproof glass," said the security expert. "Its engine generates 450 horsepower, and its 4-wheel drive, which means it can race on any terrain at a fast clip."
But the BMW car India has chosen to outfit with armour is a Limousine, and these BMW limousines are outfitted, and retrofitted by Sandago, a Singapore-based company. The security expert said the Ambassador could not have qualified, even if made bulletproof. Why? Because it was, for one, too heavy at nearly 1500 kg body weight. "Adding another 800 kilos of reinforcements in the form of armour would have turned it into a sloth, because the Ambassador engine runs on 18 horsepower, far too less power to pull weight, and race to safety," said the expert.
So, the switch to limousines, especially the BMW limo, classy, comfortable and with more than enough horsepower to be a thoroughbred. "Windowpanes are special and bulletproof. They can deflect all small bore firepower, even an AK-47. To secure the underbelly, so as to withstand mine blasts, there is special Kevlar flooring, reinforced fuel tanks, radiator and tyres that are in themselves armour, bullet and bombproof," said the security expert.
For terror-zones, like Jammu & Kashmir, where rocket attacks using rocket launchers are also a constant threat, armoured cars come fitted with Kevlar-tops. Earlier, 8" reinforced-steel served the purpose, but that sent weight of the vehicle soaring.
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