I want one.

[supersizeme]

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- With its bulletproof glass, grenade launcher, laser gun and the ability to foil pursuers with oil slicks and smoke screens, the Army's new SmarTruck is a vehicle worthy of James Bond.

"Actually, the idea did stem from the James Bond concept," admitted GerMaine Fuller, project engineer at the National Automotive Center, which developed the souped-up Ford F-350 pickup as a prototype.

All the usual features of a high-end sport-utility vehicle are there, as well as a mobile video system, an onboard personal computer, built-in night-vision, high-voltage door handles and even a tack dispenser to help throw off the chase.

While the base price of the SmarTruck is the same as an F-350 -- $35,000-$45,000 -- Fuller could not divulge the exact cost of the fully equipped vehicle.

The SmarTruck was on display recently at a logistics symposium organized by the Association of the U.S. Army, the Army's civilian backers. Much of the exhibition focused on the marriage of military and industry to create a more mobile, versatile and adaptive fighting force.

Urban warfare
Warren, Michigan-based NAC, which is part of the Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, designed the SmarTruck with urban warfare in mind -- against enemies such as terrorists, mobsters or urban warlords.

"The reason we were thinking about urban warfare is because the Army increasingly is being pulled into policing duties," Fuller said.

The SmarTruck might be used to ferry important dignitaries or explore enemy territory. It won't however, be used as an offensive weapon.

"We're not trying to kill anybody," she said. "What we want to do is immobilize."

Lasers, dazzling lights
The vehicle comes well-equipped for that. When started, its door handles will maintain a high-enough voltage to stun an enemy for several minutes. Its weapons -- the laser and percussion grenades -- are designed more to clear obstructions and temporarily stop enemies than to cause serious bodily harm. It has front-and-back dazzling lights, which are so bright that the NAC says "the enemy cannot look directly at the vehicle."

The SmarTruck also was designed to be secure. It has Kevlar-like armor covering everything but the floorboards, an onboard bomb-detection unit and a fingerprint identification system that requires a special ring and the correct print before it allows the vehicle to be operated.

In the future, Fuller said designers want to incorporate a rear-wheel Quadristeer system that will give the SmarTruck increased maneuverability and the ability to make extremely sharp turns. They also plan a hybrid electric propulsion system, which will save gas -- making the SmarTruck cheaper and environmentally friendly -- and reduce noise to the point where one can travel at night virtually undetected.

One can almost imagine Q saying, "Do be careful with this one, 007."

 

[§äñît¥ Pôí§ðñ]

*drooolz*