Riot Vehicle with Water Cannon (Used in Colombia)

"QUANTUM SHOT" #571
Link - article by John Murphy

As a continuation of our article Anti-Riot Police Vehicles, here is a look at the newest SWAT "Riot Truck". The info and images were sent to us by a representative of the ISBI Company, which has a manufacturing plant in Bogota, Colombia. We include his text and pictures with little editing, to pause and reflect on the conflicted and often unstable life in Colombia:

Police and crowd brutality is a fact of life in Colombia. Multiple riots (including Farc Guerrillas, who attack riot vehicles with rifles) cause the Colombian government (and local SWAT teams) to order and often use the reinforced vehicles such as shown here.

The vehicles have to be able to move and shoot water at the same time. This is achieved by using an additional Cummins diesel engine (electronic). The water requirements are twice the international standards. They have to hold at least 11,500 liters of water. Maintenance of the pump can be made from inside the vehicle (thru two doors that access the engine room).

The range of the water cannon is 55 meters. They are operated from the inside through the "joystick" controls. The operator can turn the cannons (and monitors), and also to open and close the pneumatic valves (actuators). Four video color cameras are located on the roof, plus a reverse camera. All digitally recorded for future reference.

The paint has to resist countless stone attacks and should not burn from Molotov attacks.

The armor sometimes can go up to .50 caliber BMG (Browning Machine Gun) UL 752 lLevel 10 (80mm thick glass). The screens have to be made from steel. Wire is not accepted because it bends with large bricks. The screens have hinges so that the glass can be easily cleaned. The windshield screen itself is electric.

The plow is hydraulic. It has a 3 ton capacity. The tires can be protected with tyron bands, runflats, or filled with polyurethane. They have 3 gun ports to shoot tear gas canisters.

The vehicles have to work at high altitude such as that of Bogotá. The chasis can be Kenworth or International - 6X4 or 6X6.

Due to the human rights requirements we do not mix water with chemicals or dies. These vehicles do not produce electric shocks. But believe me, the water pressure alone will disperse an angry crowd. The price of one of these vehicles starts at around US$350,000.

(images credit: ISBI)

Slightly mysterious van

Please help to identify and to find out what sort of vehicle is shown on that image. We can read "Television Detector", which implies some sort of wavelength scanner...

(image via)

UPDATE: Thanks for all the great info! This is a 1960s Commer TV detector van used to find people who hadn't paid their TV Licence in the UK (to keep BBC programming ad free).

More info and images here and here, the technology suppposedly used (which may not work), and the infamous video ad.

CONTINUE TO "ANTI-RIOT POLICE VEHICLES"! ->