Frequently asked questions.

A-KIP® stands for Anti-Kidnapping Protection: an enhanced lightweight ballistic protection solution for the Defender 110 and 130, designed and manufactured in-house at TRASCO. Certified ballistic glass, ballistic steel and advanced composites protect large areas of the passenger cabin to VPAM-PM 4 or VPAM-PM 6.

One company worldwide: Trasco Bremen GmbH is the only official and exclusive JLR “Accredited Converter” for the Defender 110 and 130 A-KIP®. The cooperation is documented on official Land Rover channels, including landrover.com and the JLR media center.

Two protection levels for the protected areas of the vehicle, with materials certified to the VPAM-PM 2007 test guideline: VPAM 4 covers typical handguns such as .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum; VPAM 6 covers assault rifles such as the AK-47 with 7.62×39 ammunition. Every A-KIP® component is tested and certified by government-approved German VPAM laboratories.

VPAM is the Vereinigung der Prüfstellen für angriffshemmende Materialien und Konstruktionen – the association of government-approved test laboratories for attack-resistant materials and constructions. Its test guidelines (VPAM-APR 2006, VPAM-PM 2007) define real test firings for each protection level and form the basis of ballistic certification in Germany.

No – it complements fully armored vehicles rather than replacing them. A-KIP® covers discreet, mobile protection against typical criminal attack scenarios up to assault-rifle level. For higher threat levels, TRASCO recommends fully armored vehicles.

Hardly. Discretion is a core protection principle of the concept: the A-KIP® Defender is virtually indistinguishable from a series-production Defender – inside and out. There are no visible edges of the protection components, no altered proportions and no added attention.

Yes. The full airbag configuration and the ADAS driver assistance systems remain functional – validated in physical crash tests with the full airbag suite deployed as designed. This distinguishes A-KIP® from armoring approaches that deactivate airbags.

No. The A-KIP® Defender remains within its original gross vehicle weight rating, so a standard category B license is sufficient. No chassis or brake upgrades are required, and the vehicle remains fully suited to everyday city and motorway driving.

No. The A-KIP® Defender drives like the standard vehicle, needs no additional driver training and no maintenance beyond the standard service schedule.

The standard package reduces payload by approximately 220 kg at VPAM 4 and approximately 330 kg at VPAM 6. The remaining payload stays usable – the Defender 110 seats up to five (VPAM 4) or four (VPAM 6), the Defender 130 up to six (VPAM 4) or four (VPAM 6), depending on configuration.

The current Defender 110 (including the Defender OCTA) and Defender 130. The 110 uses a ballistic partition wall behind the rear seats; the 130 uses a protected tailgate with ballistic tailgate glass and protected cargo side glass – the full cabin length remains usable.

A-KIP® modifications and protection components, including all opaque and transparent ballistic materials, are covered by a two-year TRASCO warranty. The JLR base vehicle warranty – five years or 150,000 km, depending on the end-customer market – remains in place.

Via the guided five-step inquiry on this website, or directly by phone or e-mail. Vehicles are converted in-house in Bremen, Germany, and delivered market-ready; EU single vehicle approval is available as an option.