Armoured Vehicle Operations and Crew Coordination
The vehicle as a system
An armoured vehicle is a system of protection layers: armour, reinforced glass, locks, seals, communication, and the crew's discipline. Know the pre-trip inspection: tyres, lights, brakes, locks, seals, communication equipment, alarm, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, and the cargo compartment. A defect is reported before departure, not after.
Crew roles
Typical roles include the driver, the crew leader (often the commander of the operation) and the escort/observer. Roles must be clear before departure: who drives, who handles cargo, who observes, who communicates, who decides in an emergency. The crew leader's instructions prevail during the operation, but every crew member has the duty to speak up about a safety concern.
Coordination principles
Use standard, short communications; confirm instructions; maintain radio discipline; never leave a crew member alone outside the vehicle; define a rendezvous point and a distress signal; agree on the response to a blocked route, a suspicious follower, or an accident. Driving discipline: keep distance, avoid being boxed in, keep an escape lane, never let the vehicle be immobilized in a trap.
Traps
- Assuming armour makes the vehicle invulnerable: it buys time, not immunity.
- Leaving the engine off or the vehicle boxed in during loading.
- Role confusion - everyone watching, no one watching the blind side.
- Silent crew members who notice a risk but do not report it.
- Ignoring the post-incident preservation of the vehicle and scene.
Rule of thumb
Always keep an escape route and a communication channel: if you cannot move and cannot talk, you are trapped.
Worked example
A car follows the vehicle through three turns. Correct response: do not drive home or to the client; inform the control room, follow the pre-agreed diversion to a safe point (police station, secure depot), and note the plate and description without confrontation.