Sandcat Stormer EX armoured personnel carrier with-integrated GPK (Gunner Protection Kit). The EX has the same wheelbase as the regular SandCat Stormer but with a little extra body length for more room in the back. The Stormer EX is the largest among the current selection of SandCats offered by the armored solutions manufacturer Plasan. These are light trucks based on the Ford F-series that can be assembled to a customer’s requirements. The SandCat, however, has always emphasized mobility and protection rather than interior volume.
The Stormer EX is meant to function as a cost-effective personnel carrier for infantry who deploy on counter-terrorist or peacekeeping operations. Its armor level is raised to STANAG III and the hull is elongated so it can fit a total of 11 passengers. These include the driver and co-driver in the cab, a lone gunner on the roof turret and eight dismounts.Rather than a basic square shape with vulnerable windows, the cupola has distinct angles that further enclose the gunner in a protective shell. This could be better for deflecting incoming fire or lethal fragments. The Stormer EX doesn’t have a main armament per se but Plasan have advertised it with a single FN MAG.
The Sand Cat is a composite armored vehicle designed by Plasan of Israel. It is based on a commercial Ford F-Series chassis shortened to a 2.84 m (112 in) wheelbase by Manning Equipment of Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Originally designed as a potential replacement for the AIL Storm jeeps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), they have since developed numerous versions of the vehicle from 4 to 6 tons to transport up to 8 soldiers. Examples have undergone trials by the IDF in Israel and the U.S. Army at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. A heavily armored version of the Sand Cat featuring ceramic body parts was presented to the U.S. military at the Platform System Demonstrator event in August 2006. At the 2008 Eurosatory, the Sand Cat was shown branded as an Oshkosh Corporation product.
