Some car specifications not readily available due to trade secrets. (see article body) |
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| Manufacturer | Armour Group, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Production | 2008-present |
| Class | Armored Car |
| Body style | Bus |
| Engine | 6 cylinder turbo diesel 5.88 liters @240HP |
| Length | unknown |
| Width | unknown |
| Height | unknown |
| Curb weight | 13 short tons[1] |
The Rhino Runner is a type of armored bus used extensively in Iraq, especially on the infamous Route Irish between Baghdad International Airport and The Green Zone. It is a customized vehicle created by Labock Technologies, which was purchased in 2008 by another company called Advanced Blast Protection. In 2010 Advanced Blast Protection was purchased by Armour Group, Inc. The Rhino Runner is made in various sizes with different purposes. Duties include normal transport of civilian contractors and military personnel, and usage by VIPs, including transport of prisoners involved in the Iraqi Special Tribunal.
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Because this is an armored vehicle, certain specifications are not readily available due to trade secrets.
On October 29, 2011, an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber who detonated a vehicle packed with 700 kilograms of explosives near a Rhino Runner. The Rhino Runner was occupied by NATO troops and civilian contractors, in route to the Kabul Military Training Center, Afghanistan. Five ISAF troops (4 American and 1 Canadian) and eight civilian ISAF employees (5 Americans, 2 British, and 1 Kosovan)[5] were reportedly killed in the attack. Three Afghan civilians (two of which were children) and a policeman near the explosion were also killed, and six Afghan adults/two children were wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility.[6]
The Rhino Runner is mostly used for transportation of civilians and the press between the Baghdad International Airport and the Green Zone. It is also used to transport soldiers from one base to another.
VIPs have been known to use the Rhinos, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, General Richard Myers, and Matthew Roloff.
An unpublicized usage of the buses is to transport VIP prisoners, such as the now-deceased Saddam Hussein, between their confinements and the tribunal.