The POINTER® is an armored SWAT/APC van built and trademarked by Alpine Armoring for law enforcement, tactical response teams, and government agencies. It carries up to 10 personnel behind ballistic steel and multi-layer bullet-resistant glass, on two proven full-size platforms: the Ford Transit and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It is offered from Level A4 to A9, with A9 (CEN B6+) as the standard high-protection build for rapid deployment, urban policing, and national security operations.
Mission-ready and built like no other. The POINTER® pairs a spacious, configurable cabin for up to 10 with the ballistic protection a high-risk mission demands. We engineer each van on a reinforced suspension and upgraded brakes, so a fully armored build near 11,100 lbs still handles high-speed pursuit and tight urban maneuvering. The Transit version runs a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 (310 hp) through a 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, giving tactical teams the response they need on any terrain.
We conduct both third-party and in-house live-fire testing on every build, and the results regularly exceed what the rating agencies require. Every armored SWAT van starts from laboratory-tested ballistic steel and bullet-resistant glass, then gets validated against the threats it will actually face. According to Alpine Armoring's Director of Design & Engineering, Cameron Khoroushi, who leads the platform's development, the company's 30 years of manufacturing experience go into every panel and weld. See the full ballistic testing process and the weapons and ammunition chart.
The van is offered from Level A4 to A9. Level A9 (CEN B6+) is the standard top-tier build and stops 7.62x39, 7.62x51, and 5.56x45 rifle rounds and M80 ball. Lower levels scale defense to each agency's threat profile and budget.
It uses multi-layered, no-spall bullet-resistant glass, rated by Beschussamt München. It holds optical clarity while stopping rifle fire, and each spec is test-fired in cold-dry and hot-humid conditions to confirm real-world reliability.
Armor wraps the full crew compartment, firewall, fuel tank, battery, ECU, floor, and roof. Run-flat tires, underbody blast protection, and anti-sabotage exhaust protection close the gaps an attacker would target.
Beschussamt München rates the van's glass and steel, and the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground has tested Alpine Armoring’s armor to CEN 1063, NIJ 0101.07, and STANAG 4569. Builds also meet VPAM and NIJ levels as well.
Six run-flat inserts keep the van moving after its tires are shot out or deflated. Solid-rubber composite inserts carry the armored weight, protect rim integrity, and keep the crew mobile during an attack.
The POINTER® is armored with ballistic plate steel across Brinell grades (Mil-Spec 46100 and Mil-A-32332) using Ultra-High-Hardness wrought steel, covering protection levels including VR7, VR9, VPAM, and NIJ. It builds on proven full-size vans, then adds mission-ready equipment: heavy-duty bumpers, equipment racks, a roof hatch and overwatch area, communications, and surveillance integration.
