| Cadillac Gage Ranger | |
|---|---|
 AUnited States Air Force Cadillac Gage Ranger atSpangdahlem Air Base in 1985 | |
| Type | Internal security vehicle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | April 1980–late 1990s |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Implementation Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Cadillac Gage |
| Manufacturer | Textron Marine & Land Systems |
| Unit cost | $230,720[1] |
| Produced | 1979–? |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,903 kg (10,809 lb) (loaded) |
| Length | 5,030 mm (198 in) |
| Height | 2,030 mm (80 in) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 5 |
Main armament | 1xgeneral-purpose machine gun (optional) |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Ground clearance | 203 mm (8.0 in) |
Operational range | 483 km (300 miles) |
| Maximum speed | 113 km/h (70 mph) |
TheCadillac Gage Ranger, known popularly and inUnited States military service as theCadillac Gage Peacekeeper orCadillac Gage Peacekeeper I, is a four-wheeledarmored personnel carrier marketed as aninternal security vehicle, produced byCadillac Gage (nowTextron Marine & Land Systems). Built on aDodge truck chassis, production began in 1979 to produce an armored vehicle for theUnited States Air Force (USAF)Security Forces, its largest customer, thoughLuxembourg andIndonesia also reportedly used Rangers as well. The Ranger also saw considerable service withlaw enforcement as aSWAT vehicle.
The Cadillac Gage Ranger is no longer offered by Textron, with trademarks cancelled, though it is unclear when it was discontinued.[2] In 2003, Textron unveiled a successor to the Ranger, theCadillac Gage Peacekeeper II. As of 2020, the Ranger's per unit replacement cost is approximately US$230,720.[1]
The Cadillac Gage Ranger began production in 1979 to meet a USAF Security Forces requirement for armored vehicles to use in base protection and patrols.[3] The first Rangers were delivered to the USAF in April 1980, with 571 vehicles under a contract of $30,532 each.[1][4] In 1981, 560 additional Rangers were ordered by the USAF and theUnited States Navy.[4] By 1994, around 708 Rangers had been produced and served with the U.S. military, with 20 of those Rangers sold to Indonesia the same year.[4]
By the mid-to-late 1990s, the Ranger was being phased out of service to be replaced by theHumvee,[5] but in 1996, Rangers with the USAF Security Forces were deployed toBosnia and Herzegovina as part ofImplementation Forcepeacekeeping, the only time they are known to have been deployed in a military conflict.[4]
When the USAF Security Forces retired their Rangers, they were sold toAmerican law enforcement as part of theUnited States Department of Defense'sLaw Enforcement Support Office.[4]
In 1996,National Museum of the United States Air Force collections chief Scott Ferguson convinced his superiors that a 1980 Cadillac Gage Ranger on display at the museum had been requested by another military facility; however, this was in fact a lie Ferguson used to steal the Ranger, drive it offWright-Patterson Air Force Base, and hide it inMiddletown, Ohio. Between 1997 and 1998, Ferguson drove the Ranger acrossOhio state lines and displayed it at military conventions inTennessee andPennsylvania before selling it on theblack market on July 11, 1999 for $18,000; it would ultimately be sold to theCherokee County Sheriff's Office inNorth Carolina for $38,000. In August 2004, Ferguson was found guilty for stealing the Ranger and crossing state lines in it. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release, and fined $29,000 in restitution.[6][7]
In 2010, Federal Defense Industries and Textron entered an agreement to allow FDI to provide authorized aftermarket parts, support, and assistance for servicing the Ranger.[8] Defenseshield is contracted to provide replacement windows for Rangers still in service.[9]
The Cadillac Gage Ranger is built on aDodge Ram truck chassis with a shorter wheelbase.[3][10] It uses afront-engine, four-wheel-drive layout, coupled to anautomatic transmission with three forward gears and one reverse gear.[3][4] The Ranger has a weight of 4,903 kg (10,809 lb) when loaded, with a length of 5,030 mm (198 in), a height of 2,030 mm (80 in), and a ground clearance of 203 mm (8.0 in). Its top speed is 113 km/h (70 mph) with an operational range of 483 km (300 miles).[11]
The vehicle can carry one driver, one front passenger, and four rear passengers. Bucket seats are provided for the driver and front passenger, while bench seats are provided for the rear cabin.[3] The entire body of the vehicle, including the floor, features Cadloyvehicle armor capable of withstanding 7.62 mm[clarification needed] fire.[citation needed]
Weapons are installed on a rotatable top-mountedgun turret that allows for the mounting of ageneral-purpose machine gun (typically excluded in law enforcement configurations), as well asfiring ports for the vehicle's occupants to fire weapons and dispense devices such assmoke grenades with minimal risk.[3][10]
The Cadillac Gage Peacekeeper II was a modernized follow-up to the Cadillac Gage Ranger, first unveiled in 2003.
United States
Indonesia: 20 Rangers adopted in service in 1994.[4][3] Known to be used byPaspampres.[22]
Luxembourg[3] United States: Formerly with US military service[3]
Media related toCadillac Gage Ranger at Wikimedia Commons