Santa Barbara BLR
Notes:
This is a wheeled armored personnel carrier in use by the Spanish Marines
and Guardia Civil (National Guard).
It was developed to be a low-cost armored carrier which could do border patrol
duties, internal security, airport security, and amphibious operations.
Though the Spanish Marines employ them, more are used by police units
operating in rural areas than anywhere else.
The only export customer so far has been Ecuador.
Though several variants have been proposed and discussed over the years,
but only a basic APC version and an internal security have been produced, and
there are no plans for upgrading the BLR.
Production of the BLR ceased in the mid-1990s, but the vehicle is still
used by Spain (and Ecuador) pending the arrival of more up-to-date vehicles.
The BLR is a
vehicle with a large, box-shaped hull and a small cupola with a machinegun
mount. The driver is in the front right with two large bullet-resistant
windshields to his front, and smaller bullet-resistant windows to his sides on
the angle of where the front meets the sides.
Armored shutters can be lowered over the windshields, with vision slits
in them. The driver has conventional controls, and though he has no
vehicle-mounted night vision, the commander and driver usually have night vision
goggles at their position (not included in the price below). The commander
occupies the cupola, which is raised and has vision blocks to the front, sides,
and rear. The cupola is in the
center of the vehicle just behind the driver/passenger position. This cupola has
a pintle-mounted weapon and often is surrounded with low AV2 gun shields.
The front of the vehicle also has a seat on the left, sometimes occupied
by the infantry squad commander but often left empty.
The driver and front passenger have hatches above their position and
access to their positions through the troop compartment.
The interior is considered roomy for an armored vehicle, and has four
vision blocks along the sides and one in each rear door (though no firing
ports). The troops are seated along
sides of the vehicle, facing inwards. Two hatches are found on the roof.
Power for the
BLR is provided by a Pegaso turbocharged diesel developing 220 horsepower,
coupled to a manual transmission.
The engine is unusually mounted, below the rear floor and mounted so that it
wraps around the rear part of the drive train and the rear axle.
This, unfortunately, makes it vulnerable to mines and IEDs as well as
everyday rough terrain such as projecting rocks.
It does, however, leave a large open area at the rear while making the
vehicle shorter and smaller. The 4x4 suspension is more suited to road use and
is not particularly effective off-road. The BLR has run-flat tires and a winch
with a capacity of 4.5 tons and 50 meters of cable; the winch is in the center,
but the cable leads out through the front of the vehicle through a channel.
Armor is of all-welded steel, but geared more towards protecting against small
arms and shell fragments and unlikely to protect against even light and medium
machinegun bullets. Frontal armor
is moderately sloped, while the sides and rear are straight-sided.
The internal
security version is basically the same as the military BLR, has a either a
barricade-clearing blade or a full dozer blade at the front which may be raised
or lowered as necessary. If the BLR
has a barricade-clearing blade, the blade is 50% likely to be hit by frontal
shots, adding 5Sp to the frontal armor rating.
If the BLR has a full dozer blade, frontal shots are resolved the same,
but the AV increase is 8Sp. The
barricade-clearing blade is sort of a super ramming bumper, and cannot dig
fighting positions or clear terrain.
The dozer blade can be used for any task which may be expected of a dozer
blade. Other additional equipment
includes flashing lights, a siren, a loudspeaker system, and a spotlight on the
cupola and another on the roof. The
internal security version has a system to automatically put out fires on the
tires or in the wheel wells. Note that run-flat tires are not always present on
the internal security version. The windshields of the internal security vehicle
have a double wiper system; one deals with water and other such liquids and the
other id designed for use against paint and suchlike and can spray a solvent
solution to help clear it away. The
normal cupola armament is replaced by a discharger for irritant gas, which can
fire up to 25 3-second blasts erupting in a 30-degree 50-meter-long arc.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
BLR (Military) |
$12,643 |
D, A |
2 tons |
12 tons |
2+12 |
8 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Internal Security |
$9,074 |
D, A |
1.7
tons |
13
tons |
2+10 |
8 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
BLR (Military) |
199/49 |
46/11/5 |
200 |
114 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF3 HS3
HR3 |
Internal Security |
183/45 |
42/10/4 |
200 |
123 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF3 HS3
HR3 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
BLR (Military) |
None |
None |
MG-3 (C) |
1000x7.62mm |
Internal Security |
None |
None |
Irritant Gas Discharger |
25xIrritant Gas Blasts |
Santa Barbara BMR-600
Notes:
This is a Spanish armored personnel carrier also in service with Egypt
Peru, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. It
shares many components with the VEC armored car (see Spanish Light Armored
Vehicles), and 50% of the parts can be interchanged.
The Spanish Army issued the requirements for the BMR-600 in 1972; first
deliveries began in 1979. Some 1500
were built for the Spanish and for export customers.
The BMR-600 has seen combat service in Desert Storm with the Spanish
Army, and as part of IFOR in Yugoslavia, in UN service in Lebanon, and in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Several variants were built, including one with an alternate
turret for the commander, an armored ambulance, a command vehicle, a
communications vehicle, and an engineer vehicle (not discussed on this page), as
well as other variants not discussed here such as ATGM carriers and a mortar
carrier. All Spanish BMR-600s were
upgraded in the mid-1990s under the “BMR-2” program; these are designated
BMR-M1.
The driver of
the BMR-600 is on the front left in a separate cabin which projects forward of
the glacis plate. The driver has a
large bullet-resistant windshield with armored shutters to his front and smaller
windows to each side. The driver
has a hatch atop his position, and in this hatch is a port for a night vision
block. The commander is directly
behind him; he mans an RWS with an M-2HB and has all-around vision blocks.
To the rear of this on the deck are two more hatches, opening right and
left. At the rear of the troop
compartment is a powered ramp with a door in it.
There are three firing ports on each side of the hull, and two in the
rear. The troops sit four to each
side facing inwards and two at the front of the compartment facing the rear.
The BMR-600 uses
a Pegaso 9157/8 306-horsepower diesel engine, coupled to an automatic
transmission. The BMR-600 has 6x6
drive, and all wheels have independent suspension making it quite adept
off-road. The transmission further
has a limited-slip differential, and the tires are run-flat.
The BMR-600 has a winch at the rear which can be led out the front, and
has a 4.5-ton capacity with 50 meters of cable.
The BMR-M1
upgraded version have new Scania DS9 61A 24S 310-horsepower turbocharged diesel
engines, which run cleaner and are easier to service, and smaller in size.
They are fitted with additional appliqué armor and air conditioning
units. They have been made amphibious, and have had waterjets installed at the
rear to help in this capacity. The
BMR-M1 also has a number of automotive and electrical system upgrades and fixes,
and has been equipped with puncture-resistant, run-flat tires. They have a new
Dragar one-man turret with heavier armament.
Most of the variants have also been equipped with this upgrade, with the
exception of the turret. Radiation
shielding has been fitted. The
driver’s steering wheel is adjustable for height, and the BMR-M1 has an
automatic fire detection and suppression system, as well as self-sealing fuel
tanks. Three smoke grenade
launchers have been added to either side of the turret.
The BMR-600
Armored Command Vehicle (ACV) is a variant of the BMR-600 fitted out to a
commander's needs. The vehicle is
equipped with 2 short range, one medium range, and one long range radio (which
is data-capable), a ruggedized laptop computer, inertial land navigation
equipment, a map board, and a folding table and chairs, as well as storage for
maps and office-type and plotting-type supplies.
The work area can be expanded during halts by a tent as long as the
vehicle. The vehicle also has a 5kW
generator on the roof to power the equipment when the engine is off.
A hand-held thermal imager, image intensifier, and laser rangefinder is
carried.
The Radio
Communications Vehicle (RCV) uses the same basic chassis and interior as the
ACV, but carries a small group of technicians, 3 long-range radios (one
data-capable for relaying digital information to a command post), one
medium-range radio, one short-range radio, a radio teletype machine (deleted
after the BMR-M1 update), 20 field telephones, a switchboard, 2000 meters of
commo wire on spools, and a limited amount of spare communications equipment
parts. On the roof is a 10kW
generator.
The BMR-3560.54
is an armored ambulance version of the BMR-600 armored personnel carrier.
In this version, the vehicle carries a refrigerator for perishable
medical supplies, a defibrillator, a respirator, the equivalent of one doctor's
medical bag, 20 personal medical kits, and four stretchers.
The vehicle is equipped with air conditioning and heating. Unlike most
armored ambulances, the BMR-3560.54 is armed, with a cupola for the commander
with a searchlight to help it spotlight and find casualties as well as a
pintle-mounted gun and a small ammunition supply. It can carry four stretcher
patients or two stretcher patients and four seated patients, plus a medic in the
rear.
The BMR VRAC-NBQ
is an NBC reconnaissance version of the BMR-600, equipped with radiation
shielding. It has optical chemical
sniffers, radiation detectors and dosimeters, sampling equipment (including an
extendible arm to sample ground and plants), and an additional long-range radio
(data-equipped). The vehicle has
limited computer equipment to assist in its findings and studies as well as the
ability to transmit those findings to other units.
The BMR GEL is
an EW vehicle, used primarily to jam radio communications, but also with a
limited radar jamming capability.
The BMR GEL’s equipment can jam all frequencies of the spectrum within 40
kilometers, but only two bands at a time (such as VHF and HF, etc).
It can jam ground vehicle, GSR, aircraft radar, and shipborne radar, but
only one type at a time, and with a range of only 30 kilometers.
The BMR GEL’s equipment can also detect and locate radio transmissions
within 40 kilometers, scanning up to three bands at a time. Radio jamming
reduces the ability to transmit by two levels, and radar jamming by one level.
The BMR GEL also has recording equipment for the radio detection and
location equipment, and a small computer relevant to its EW functions.
On the roof is a 10kW generator.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
BMR-600 |
$31,421 |
D, A |
2 tons |
14 tons |
2+10 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
BMR-600 (Toucan Turret) |
$68,800 |
D, A |
1.9 tons |
14.7 tons |
2+9 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
BMR-600 ACV |
$181,536 |
D, A |
950 kg |
14.5 tons |
2+4 |
9 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
BMR-600 RCV |
$83,325 |
D, A |
950 kg |
14.5 tons |
5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
BMR-3560.54 |
$36,135 |
D, A |
950 kg |
14.3 tons |
** |
9 |
Passive IR (D), WL Searchlight (G) |
Enclosed |
BMR VRAC-NBQ |
$221,983 |
D, A |
860 kg |
15.1 tons |
5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, Roof Camera), Image Intensification (Roof Camera) |
Shielded |
BMR GEL |
$854,319 |
D, A |
850 kg |
15.2 tons |
5 |
11 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
BMR-M1 |
$45,070 |
D, A |
1.5 tons |
16 tons |
2+9 |
8 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Shielded |
BMR-M1 ACV |
$152,439 |
D, A |
800 kg |
15.6 tons |
2+4 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
BMR-M1 RCV |
$73,078 |
D, A |
800 kg |
15.6 tons |
5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
BMR-M1-3560.54 |
$51,831 |
D, A |
900 kg |
14.9 tons |
** |
9 |
Passive IR (D), WL Searchlight (G) |
Shielded |
BMR-M1 VRAC-NBQ |
$235,007 |
D, A |
750 kg |
15.7 tons |
5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, Roof Camera), Image Intensification (Roof Camera) |
Shielded |
BMR-M1 GEL |
$474,266 |
D, A |
700 kg |
15.8 tons |
5 |
11 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
BMR-600 |
177/89 |
41/20 |
400 |
162 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF8
HS4 HR4 |
BMR-600 (Toucan Turret) |
168/85 |
39/19 |
400 |
170 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF8
HS4 HR4 |
BMR-600 ACV/RCV |
172/86 |
40/19 |
400 |
168 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF8
HS4 HR4 |
BMR-3560.54 |
173/87 |
40/20 |
400 |
165 |
Stnd |
W(4) |
HF8 HS4
HR4 |
BMR VRAC-NBQ |
165/83 |
38/19 |
400 |
175 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF8
HS4 HR4 |
BMR GEL |
163/82 |
38/17 |
400 |
177 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF8
HS4 HR4 |
BMR-M1 |
162/82 |
37/19/4 |
400 |
164 |
Trtd |
W(5) |
TF4 TS4
TR3 HF10Sp
HS6 HR4* |
BMR-M1 ACV/RCV |
167/84 |
38/20/4 |
400 |
159 |
CiH |
W(5) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF10Sp
HS6 HR4* |
BMR-M1-3560.54 |
175/89 |
40/21/4 |
400 |
153 |
Stnd |
W(5) |
HF10Sp HS6
HR4* |
BMR-M1 VRAC-NBQ |
165/84 |
38/19/4 |
400 |
161 |
CiH |
W(5) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF10Sp
HS6 HR4* |
BMR-M1 GEL |
164/83 |
37/19/4 |
400 |
162 |
CiH |
W(5) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF10Sp
HS6 HR4* |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
BMR-600/ACV/RCV/VRAC-NBQ/GEL |
None |
None |
M-2HB (C) |
1100x.50 |
BMR-600 (Toucan Turret) |
+1 |
Basic |
20mm M-693 Autocannon, MG-3 |
750x20mm, 2100x7.62mm |
BMR-3560.54/3560.54-M1 |
None |
None |
MG-3 (C) or M-2HB (C) |
1000x7.62mm or 600x.50 |
BMR-M1 |
+2 |
Good |
25mm
M-811 Autocannon or LAG-40 AGL, MG-3 |
600x25mm or 375x40mm Grenades, 2100x7.62mm |
BMR-M1 ACV/RCV/VRAC-NBQ/GEL |
None |
None |
M-2HB (C) |
1100x.50 |
*Roof AV is 3; Floor AV is 4.
**See Notes for Crew and passenger capacity.