Ranger Special Operations Vehicle

Military light utility vehicle

Ranger Special Operations Vehicle

A Land Rover modified to RSOV configuration at the War and Peace Show 2010 convention.

Type| Military light utility vehicle
Place of origin| United Kingdom
Service history
In service| 1992 – Present
Used by| See Users
Production history
Manufacturer|

* Land Rover
* Otokar

Produced| 1992
Specifications
Mass| 7,734 lb (3,508 kg)
Length| 173.8 inches (4,415 mm)
Width| 70.5 inches (1,791 mm)
Height| 76-inch (1,930 mm) (without gun mount)

* * *

Engine| Four-cylinder turbocharged diesel
Drive| full-time four-wheel drive
Transmission| Automatic

The Ranger Special Operations Vehicle (RSOV) is a light military vehicle of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, based on the Land Rover Defender. The RSOV is not meant to be an assault vehicle, but rather a rapid defensive platform.[1]

## History[edit]

In 1992, the U.S. Army Rangers decided to adopt the RSOV in order to replace their M151 light gun trucks.[2][3] The decision to adopt the vehicle was inspired by American troops seeing the Land Rover deployed by the British in the Gulf War.[4] They noted that the vehicle was easier to use in desert terrain compared to the Humvee.[4] 60 RSOVs were initially purchased to fulfill a requirement for 12 RSOVs per battalion.[5]

The RSOV was secretly deployed to support potential anti-terrorist efforts and to ensure the safety of people visiting the 1992 Summer Olympics in Spain, but they were kept out of the public eye.[4]

## Design[edit]

The RSOV's design is based on the Land Rover Defender Model 110, having different specifications from the British Weapons Mount Installation Kit.[2][4] The RSOV was built by the Land Rover Special Operations Vehicle Department.[6] It was also meant to be airlifted by helicopter or transport aircraft if needed.[6][7]

Initial prototypes used 3.5 liter V8 engines, but final models used four cylinder turbo diesel engines[6] with a manual transmission.[7] The diesel engine does not make loud noises when deployed, allowing Ranger teams to be stealthy when tasked with seizing places of interest.[7]

The Rangers have three main types of RSOV, the weapons carrier, medical vehicle, or communications vehicle. As a weapons carrier it can carry up to 8,000 lbs, including six to seven fully armed Rangers.[1] The Ranger is designed with a crew of three in mind: a truck commander (TC), seated front-left, a driver, and a top gunner, in the rear.[8] Additional seating arrangements can be made for an antitank operator, radiotelephone operator or a dismount team typically consisting of an M249 squad automatic weapon gunner, M203 gunner and rifleman.[8]

According to Bob Morrison, the development of the RSOV had an influence for the eventual development of the WMIK.[4]

### Weapons[edit]

For a typical operation, both vehicles in an RSOV section would be equipped with various machine guns at the forward truck commander's station, with a Mk 19 grenade launcher at the top gunner position in one vehicle, and a Browning .50 cal M2 machine gun mounted on that top position in the other vehicle.[1][9]

A M249 light machine gun can be mounted in front of the TC seat for the front passenger to use in case of an enemy encounter.[8]

U.S. Army Ranger MEDSOV (Medical Special Operations Vehicle) carries six patient litters, and is based on British Land Rover Defender.

## Variants[edit]

In addition to the RSOVs with their crew-served weapons, each Ranger battalion has two medical variants of the Defender known as a Medical Special Operations Vehicle (MEDSOV).[10] Instead of the weapon mounts found on standard RSOVs, the MEDSOV variant has fold-down racks capable of carrying six litter patients.[10] Along with its transported casualties, a typical MEDSOV crew would include a driver, a TC and two or three medics to treat the wounded.[10]

Another RSOV variant is used by the Ranger battalion mortar platoon. Known as MORTSOVs, the platoon's two Defenders—they also have three Humvees—replace the top-gun configuration with storage boxes and guy wires that allow the vehicle to carry thirty 120 mm (4.7 in) mortar rounds along with the extra equipment required by the platoon.[9] In addition to its on-board carrying capacity, the MORTSOVs can be used to tow the platoon's 120 mm (4.7 in) mortars.[8]

A RSOV communications variant is also used.[1]

## Users[edit]

* Czech Republic: Formally known as LAND ROVER DEFENDER – MILITARY ARMOURED 4 with the nickname of Kajman, it entered service in 2009 with modifications done by AMT Defense based on the Defender 130 chassis in a RSOV configuration.[4]
* North Cyprus: Known to be supplied by Turkey to the Security Forces Command with Land Rover-type RSOVs made by Otokar.[4]
* Portugal: 13 units used by the Portuguese Army Commandos, it is equipped with a shield at the bottom for protection against improvised explosives, and equipped with a M2 Browning, three Heckler & Koch MG4, one Carl Gustaf and one 60mm Mortar.[11]
* United States: Used by the 75th Ranger Regiment.[8][5]

## See also[edit]

* Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV)
* Long Range Patrol Vehicle
* Land Rover Wolf - Weapons Mount Installation Kit
* Predator SOV
* P6 ATAV
* VLEGA Gaucho/Chivunk
* FMC XR311
* Light Strike Vehicle (Singapore)
* General Dynamics Flyer

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Ranger Special Operations Vehicle". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
2. ^ a b "Land Rover Defender Ranger Special Operations Vehicle". War Wheels. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
3. ^ "16 Vehicles of the Special Operations Forces". 5 November 2015.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Morrison, Bob (11 April 2020). "MLR 33 ~ Czech KAJMAN D130 RDV". Joint Forces. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
5. ^ a b Bryant & Bryant 2005, p. 99.
6. ^ a b c "Ex-Special Forces Prototype: Land Rover Defender 110 V8 SOV". 9 September 2019.
7. ^ a b c "Ranger Special Operations Vehicle | RSOV".
8. ^ a b c d e "Association of the United States Army: The Ranger Special Operations Vehicle (RSOV)". www3.ausa.org. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
9. ^ a b "Ranger SOV – Special Operations Vehicles". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
10. ^ a b c "Ranger Medical Special Operations Vehicle – Special Ops Photos". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
11. ^ VMSB (20 June 2012). "DEFESA Global". DEFESA Global. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

## Bibliography[edit]

* Bryant, Russ; Bryant, Susan (2005). Weapons of the U.S. Army Rangers. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press. ISBN 0760321124.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ranger Special Operations Vehicle.

* v
* t
* e

US military soft-skinned vehicles introduced after 1945

1⁄4–1⁄2 ton vehicles|

* M422 Mighty Mite
* Willys M274 "Mechanical Mule"
* Willys MC / M38
* Willys MD / M38A1
* M151 "MUTT"

3⁄4–13⁄4 ton vehicles|

* AM General HMMWV
* Ground Mobility Vehicle
* M1151
* Chevrolet CUCV II
* Chevrolet LSSV
* Dodge M43
* Dodge M880s CUCV
* Gama Goat
* General Dynamics Flyer 60
* GM M1009 CUCV
* GM Defence ISV
* Kaiser Jeep M715
* M1161 Growler
* HDT Storm SRTV

21⁄2–7 ton trucks|

* AM General M809
* AM General M939
* Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
* Ford M656
* General Dynamics Flyer 72
* International M39
* Oshkosh MTVR
* REO M35

8–16.5 ton trucks|

* Caterpillar M520 "Goer"
* Mack M125
* Oshkosh HEMTT
* M1120 HEMTT LHS
* Oshkosh LVS
* Oshkosh LVSR
* Oshkosh PLS

Tank transporters|

* Mack M123
* Oshkosh M911
* Oshkosh M1070

Tractor trucks|

* AM General / Freightliner M915
* AM General M931 / M932
* CCC M920 MET
* I.H. M39 / M52 and M246

Tracked tractors & carriers|

* M8 High-Speed Tractor
* M76 Otter
* M116 Husky
* M973 SUSV

Specialist vehicles|

* Ranger Special Operations Vehicle
* Unimog 419

Amphibious vehicles|

* LARC-V
* LARC-XV
* LARC-LX "BARC"

All-terrain vehicles|

* John Deere M-Gator
* Polaris MRZR-(D)2

Military vehicles of the United States
List of soft-skinned vehicles of the US military
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template