Snatch Land Rover The Snatch Land Rover is a protected patrol vehicle , based around the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis , intended for general patrolling in low - threat areas and is the successor to the Truck Utility Medium ( TUM ) with Vehicle Protection Kit ( VPK ) . The vehicle was developed for use in the Northern Ireland area of operations in 1992 , for use in rural patrolling and providing some degree of small arms protection for occupants and a limited level of protection from Improvised Explosive Devices and off - route mines . Use of the vehicle has been the subject of criticism as a consequence of kinetic attacks which have exceeded the level of protection available , leading to occupant deaths . Overview . The Snatch is based on the Land Rover Heavy Duty Chassis , a militarised version of the Defender 110 ( similar to the Land Rover Wolf ) . It was originally procured for use in Northern Ireland by the British Army . and was first introduced in 1992 . Officially designated , Truck Utility Medium ( TUM ) with Vehicle Protection Kit ( VPK ) , the vehicle is more widely known by its informal title , the " Snatch " , even in official documentation . It is believed to have acquired the name from its use in the Troubles , when it was the preferred vehicle for snatch squads : soldiers trained to deal with demonstrations by picking out and arresting suspected ringleaders . The " Snatch " was the first factory modified Land Rover to be used in Northern Ireland , replacing a series of " ad hoc " conversions including protected Airportable Land Rover ( Land Rover 1 / 2 ton Lightweight ) and 109 " ( known as the " piglet " , being a smaller version of the Humber Pig armoured personnel carrier ) then widely used by British Forces in Northern Ireland . Manufactured as the CAMAC CAV 100 by NP Aerospace , the " Snatch " conversion was developed with the aid of Ricardo , and is fitted with CAMAC composite armour to offer the crew protection against kinetic energy projectiles and , to a very limited degree , against explosive devices . Its rated " combat weight " ( without crew and weapons ) is 3 , 050 kg . Six versions have been produced , the first being the original Snatch - 1 , equipped with a V8 petrol engine . Nearly 1 , 000 were produced , with 278 being " desertised " and reclassified as the Snatch - 1 . 5 . Most were upgraded to a second variant standard , either the Snatch - 2 12v , LHD , the basic training variant ; the Snatch - 2A 24v , RHD , " Rest of World variant " ; or the Snatch - 2B 24v , RHD - the N . Ireland variant . These later versions were retro - fitted with " 300 Tdi " diesel engines and the 2A is also fitted with air conditioning . Some Snatch 2 are being further upgraded to the Snatch Vixen standard with chassis and drivetrain enhancements for a higher GVW . When deployed , the vehicles are often fitted with electronic countermeasures electronic suites , which are designed to prevent certain types of improvised explosive device s ( IEDs ) being triggered , and Bowman radio communications . Criticism of vehicle use . Use of the vehicle has been the subject of criticism by the media , politicians and the families of some casualties in both the Afghan and Iraqi areas of British operations . This criticism became public knowledge in 2005 when the media published claims from civil servants in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development advising against the use of the vehicles . Later concerns were raised in Parliament , presenting comparison with the U . S . Marine Corps deployment of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) Cougar , which appeared to have provided more protection . The conservative peer Lord Astor of Hever raising the comparison and inviting comment . In response the Minister for Defence Procurement , Lord Drayson , acknowledged that the Snatch was inappropriate but identified that trade - offs around protection and mobility were required , as well as highlighting previous maintainability issues with an earlier version of the Cougar . Similar issues were then reported in a Sunday Telegraph opinion piece and other news outlets . These also recognised the need for trade - off decisions to be made around posture and mobility . Media reporting continued to escalate the topic whilst parliamentary dialogue continued . Four families of servicemen killed in Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and Afghanistan are to sue the Ministry of Defence , as reported by the BBC on 19 June 2009 . Since 2003 , some 37 UK personnel have been killed while using the vehicles . The use of the Snatch in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused troops to name it a " Mobile Coffin " . Procurement of additional vehicles . The MoD is currently procuring a number of vehicles with increased levels of protection , although reduced mobility , to supplement the vehicle fleets in Afghanistan and Iraq . Existing orders for the Pinzgauer Vector and the Bulldog , based on the FV432 , were increased . New vehicles , the Mastiff ( 6×6 ) and Ridgback ( 4×4 ) , based on the Cougar , which is produced by the US firm Force Protection Inc , are under procurement . Some of these vehicles have been delivered and deployed to theatre . The UK MoD is also procuring 420 Panther CLV 4×4 vehicles in the Command and Liaison role . Mine and IED protection are prime features on this vehicle . In September 2010 , Force Protection Europe , developer of the Ocelot light armoured vehicle , has been selected as the preferred bidder in U . K . Ministry of Defense ( MoD ) Light Protected Patrol Vehicle ( LPPV ) program . According to FPE , the first Ocelot vehicles are expected to be available for the training of UK forces in 2011 . The initial phase will require up to 400 new vehicles to be delivered by 2010 - 2011 . FPE won this competition against the all - British Supacat group , offering the Supacat Protected Vehicle ( SPV ) SPV - 400 . The Ocelot has an approximate gross vehicle weight of only 16 , 500 pounds . Its cabin is made of a protective pod , made of advanced composite materials incorporating Formula One racing technology . Critical components such as the engine , fuel tank and transmission are contained in the V - shaped armoured ‘ spine ’ that deflects potential blast away from the pod , thus protecting the occupants and critical key components . Replacement . Former British Prime Minister , Gordon Brown , announced on 6 March 2010 , during his surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan , that the Snatch Land Rover would be replaced by a new " light patrol vehicle " . This new vehicle was revealed by the Ministry of Defence as the Ocelot on 22 September 2010 . Future . Earlier this year it was confirmed that an unmanned variant of the vehicle is a component of the Talisman route clearing system intended to counter IED attack . The vehicle is used to forward mount a sensor suite to avoid the need for EOD operators to dismount . Snatch Public Order Upgrade Programme Ovik ' Phoenix ' . In the wake of the 2011 riots in the UK and the success of the Pangolin Armoured Public Order Vehicles used in Northern Ireland , some British police forces approached the OVIK Group to recycle former Snatch Land Rovers into cost effective Public Order Vehicles . This led to the creation of the Phoenix - B6 + Armoured Vehicle . Refit . The refit takes up to 340 man hours to complete . This includes full engine and transmission refurbishment , significant upgrades to all brakes , addition of full ' public order kit ' which included hardening of all doors , wings and bonnet , external fire protection system and finally protected emergency lighting , siren and radio system installed . This vehicle is currently in service with Avon and Somerset police . Some of the options available to customers included :