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Armies' pickups get military muscle in Thailand

03.12.11

LAEM CHABANG, Thailand (AP) — The humble pickup truck has plowed through the desert sands of Libya in pursuit of Moammar Gadhafi's forces and patrols the high passes of Afghanistan. Tough, multitasking and relatively cheap, it's the choice of Latin American armies, al-Qaida terrorists, Somali warlords and even U.S. Special Forces trying to blend in with the locals.

Of course, most don't just pick one off the lot and drive to the battlefield. They modify them in back-alley workshops to become lethal and more durable. Or they come here, to a busy, sprawling plant that turns out military-style modifications by the thousands.

Pairing sophisticated computer modeling with skilled workers, many from poor families in the surrounding countryside, the RMA Group has supplied 35,000 such road warriors, mostly Ford Rangers, to the Afghanistan police and army under a U.S. military contract, with more on their way.

Other apparently satisfied customers of the Thailand-based American company range from U.N. peacekeepers to private individuals seeking bullet-free rides. Singapore's military recently bought 1,000 converted SUVs.

Source: The Associated Press