Lenco BearCat


The Lenco BearCat is a wheeled internal security vehicle designed for law enforcement, military, and paramilitary use, produced by Lenco. Introduced in 2001 as an offshoot of the larger, the BearCat is used by numerous law enforcement agencies and military units across the world.

History

Lenco Industries, doing business as Lenco Armored Vehicles, is an American armored vehicle manufacturer based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, established in 1981. As of the early 2010s, Lenco has produced more than 5,000 armored vehicles for use in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Prior to the introduction of the Lenco BEAR and BearCat, dedicated police armored vehicles did not exist; most tactical units in the late 20th century used unarmored vans and multi-stop trucks, repurposed armored transport trucks, or armored personnel carriers and armored cars acquired from military surplus, none of which were specifically designed and equipped for law enforcement applications. One of the closest analogues to the BearCat at the time was the Cadillac Gage Ranger, a small internal security vehicle designed for military police that was sold to civilian police through surplus sales and the Law Enforcement Support Office. While the BEAR was released in 2000 to address this niche, it was based on a Freightliner truck chassis and was rather large.
The first BearCat was designed and completed in August 2001 as a smaller spin-off of the BEAR, with input from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Enforcement Bureau as an updated and improved version of their military surplus Cadillac Gage Rangers.

Usage

In law enforcement use, BearCats are generally considered "armored rescue vehicles", with their primary use being to transport police tactical unit officers to and from hostile situations and to help extract civilians, officers, and casualties who may be stuck in the area. To suit this purpose, the BearCat is designed to protect its occupants from a variety of small arms and explosive weapons. The BearCat can also be fitted with aftermarket tactical equipment such as a battering ram, an armored turret, or CS gas dispensers to be used for offensive purposes.
Since their introduction, BearCats have been credited with saving lives in armed confrontations on numerous occasions, including by stopping 7.62 mm caliber rounds fired at officers during a shootout in Athens, Texas in 2010; blocking "high-powered rifle" fire that penetrated regular police cars in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 2012; protecting sheriff's deputies from rifle fire during a shootout in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma in 2015; and being used to rescue civilians and conduct interventions during mass shootings such as the 2015 Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting and the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.

Design

The BearCat is based on a Ford F-550 Super Duty commercial truck chassis with two available engines and a six-speed automatic transmission. The BearCat features 0.5–1.5-inch-thick armored steel bodywork, completed with .50 BMG-rated bulletproof glass capable of surviving multiple hits, and blast-resistant flooring.
The BearCat is designed to be customizable with a variety of non-standard features and aftermarket equipment depending on the customer's requirements, including:
There are numerous variants of the BearCat designed for specific purposes or customers. As of 2025, these are the:
  • G2 – Base variant for law enforcement
  • G3 – Off-road variant for law enforcement
  • G4 M-ATV – Armored military-oriented all-terrain vehicle
  • G5 – Improved all-terrain variant for law enforcement
  • X3 – Double-cab pickup variant of the G3
  • BombCat/EOD – Bomb disposal variant designed to accommodate a remote-control vehicle
  • MedCat/Medevac – Medical evacuation variant equipped with medical litters, oxygen tanks, a lighted work station, and dedicated compartments for medical supplies, akin to an armored ambulance
  • FireCat – Firefighting variant of the X3, featuring an armored water tank and a roof-mounted fire hose similar to a water cannon
  • SUV – Lower-profile diplomatic security version designed to be similar to an SUV or passenger van, featuring bulletproof glass windows and removing overt features such as the roof hatch and bullbar
  • Elevated Tactics – BearCat with a MARS system installed
  • Rail Rescue Vehicle – Road-rail variant operated by the MARTA Police Department

    Operators

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  • Moroccan Auxiliary Forces – 88 BearCat armored vehicles in riot control, troop transport, communications, convoy protection, and SWAT variants.
  • BCIJ, Moroccan Domestic Intelligence Unit & Special Forces.
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Federal
State/Local
A considerable number of state police, sheriff's offices, and municipal police agencies in the United States operate BearCats for their tactical units, with over 500 BearCats in use across the country in 2013. These agencies include:
Military