ACMAT VLRA. The ACMAT VLRA  (Véhicule de Liaison de Reconnaissance et d'Appui or Liaison, Reconnaissance, and Support Vehicle), a tactical vehicle produced by ACMAT, was launched during 1967, it was characterised by its robustness. It could transport 2.5 tonnes of payload, a maximum range of 1,600 km and a water tank with a capacity of 200lt. Known for their reliability, simplicity, ruggedness and their 80% (over 3,500) commonality of parts across the entire product line, these vehicles were originally targeted at African and Asian countries who could not afford more expensive vehicles. The ACMAT company built their vehicles based on standardisation, commonality of parts and components, and on interchangeability; parts are interchangeable with vehicles built 30 years ago. Parts commonality includes cabs, structural components, engines and drive trains. ACMAT uses many of the same parts for all of its line of vehicles. They even produce an armoured variant of both the 4x4 and 6x6 versions of the VLRA.

Variants

ACMAT offers over 70 VLRA variants including the following: command car, commando vehicle, police vehicles, personnel carriers, cargo carriers, ambulances, mortar carrier, weapons carriers, communications vehicles, cross country bus, wireless vehicle, workshops vehicles, vehicles with cranes, fire fighting vehicles, fluid carriers (water and/or petroleum products), Semi-trucks, multiple rocket launcher carriers, dump trucks and more.

Options include: two or four doors, soft or hard top, manual or power steering, manual or automatic transmission, left or right hand drive, heater, air conditioning, armoured or unarmoured, and NBC defence system.

Versions

4×4 logistics range
 TPK 420 VCT command and transmission station vehicle
 TPK 436 SCM loading and handling vehicle with multifunction platform and hydraulic crane at the rear of the cabin (capacity 3,000 kg at 6.60 m - rotation 200°)
 TPK 420 SL7 recovery vehicle with rapid intervention hydraulic excavator
 TPK 425 SAM ambulance with van measuring 3.307 × 2.20 × 1.675 m (transports 4 injured people)
 TPK 430 F van vehicle: maintenance workshop, mechanical or electrical repair, 1st and 2nd echelons, etc.; command post vehicle
 TPK 432 SB all-road bus carrying 28 people (short chassis) or 34 people (long chassis)
 TPK 433 SB bus command post or wounded transport version

6×6 range
 TPK 635 SL7 recovery vehicle
 TPK 640 WRT vehicle Wrecker 5 t - Hydraulic crane 30 t/m
 TPK 641 GBS tipper vehicle - Loading and handling crane 7.2 t/m

Light reconnaissance and support vehicle
 TPK 415 SM3/FSP patrol vehicle
 TPK 420 SM3 VLRA TPK 420 STL multifunction vehicle. Flat platform 2.90 m long, folding and removable side panels
 TPK PMB mortar carrier vehicle, firing on board
 TPK 425 STL/SH multifunctional vehicle
 TPK 436 STL/SH

Multi-function vehicle for transporting personnel and/or equipment
 TPK 640 SM3 personnel or material transport vehicle
 TPK 640 CTL multi-function troop transport vehicle for 18 people. Weapon mounting capability, 12.7 mm mount, Milan, etc.
 TPK 641 VPC 6-seater double cabin vehicle. Special AR platform supporting 20mm twin-tube cannon. Shooting on board the vehicle
 TPK 650 SH/STL shelter door vehicle ACMAT

All-terrain semi-trailer and semi-trailer tractor vehicle 6×6
 TPK 635 TSR tractor vehicle semi-trailer
 TPK 635 TSR 3 EC tractor vehicle with deep cabin SR 490 semi-trailer
 TCM 420 BL6 armored reconnaissance and command liaison vehicle

Gallery 
First Generation gallery

New Generation gallery (2009 redesign)

Used by

Military users include: 
 Botswana,
 Chad,
 Chile,
 Cyprus
 France,
 Ireland,
 Kenya,
 Mali,
 Morocco, 
 United Kingdom, In 1996, the British Army ordered twenty VLRA 4x4 TPK 420 STL2 as logistics vehicles for motorized patrols of the Special Air Service (SAS). They were used during an operation in Afghanistan in November 2001. The only known photos of the VLRA in service with the SAS were published in the Raids magazine of October 2007.
 Zimbabwe,

References

External links
 Arquus Defence (formerly Renault Trucks Defense) (Current official link)
  Photos of various fire-fighting variants

See also

Military trucks