Global Military Conflicts Have Created Great Demand for Vehicle Protection Systems"

The increased number of shooting attacks in the last year along roads in Judea and Samaria, the heating up of the northern border, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and other global conflicts have heightened the already urgent need for capabilities to protect various types of vehicles against shooting: private vehicles, trucks, buses, government vehicles, logistics vehicles for moving equipment, instruments and various materials, and more.

One of the leading companies in this field in Israel, which is now also opening a large-scale export division, is the veteran company Top Car Armoring, which was established in 2011 by Doron Labock, a protection expert with extensive knowledge and expertise in managing systems for developing and producing means of protection, and integrating protection devices in different vehicles. The company is actually a more advanced incarnation of the company for armoring vehicles against gunfire that was founded by Doron's father, Yossi Labock, during the first intifada. In those days it was the only company of its kind in Israel.

"Top Car has unique experience and rich knowledge in vehicle protection in Israel and abroad. The factory is located in Sderot, on an area of about 2,000 sq.m., but the company will soon be moving to a new factory in Netivot much bigger in size," says Doron Labock. "Over the years, the company has been responsible for many projects for armoring vehicles of various types and at different levels of protection, under international standards (USA, Europe and Israel), including extensive knowledge in integrating ballistic materials in order to obtain the best ballistic solution, depending on the type of vehicle and traffic laws from a safety standpoint and weight allowance.

“Among the projects we have managed are the armoring of trucks for the largest companies in the economy, armoring buses for transportation companies, armoring vehicles and converting them for delivering money, armoring vehicles for the diplomatic sector and VIP, armoring security vehicles for customers in Israel and abroad, armoring government vehicles, armoring logistics vehicles for the provision of services, protection for commercial and oil companies abroad, and many other diverse projects," he adds. "Among other things, we armored over 2,000 buses (protecting the driver's environment from vandalism) during the Covid period – funded by the Transport Ministry." Furthermore, the company repairs and maintains a large part of the armored vehicles of the foreign diplomatic bodies in Israel.

Adaptation to other platforms
Apart from its current activities, Top Car has also recently acquired the production rights of Global Shield, and in this way also entered the semi-military vehicle protection category. "Under these production rights, we are now marketing a vehicle called “Killer” (previously known as Kfir) and this vehicle is protected both from explosives and from more aggressive projectiles. “The Killer has expanded the company's product portfolio in such a way that our customers can now receive a comprehensive solution under one roof," Labock notes.

How do the various conflicts in the world, primarily the Russia-Ukraine war, affect the company's activities?
"In view of the global conflicts, as well as the Abraham Accords, there has been considerable demand from foreign countries for anti-fire protection capabilities for various types of vehicles. Given the increase in global demand, in light of our great reputation in the field, and after we added production of the Killer to the company's product basket, our most important division has therefore become exports. In order to adapt to the significant increase in the volume of activity, we will soon be moving to a new factory in the Noam Industrial Park in Netivot, which will cover an area of 3,640 sq.m.

The Killer is intended to be marketed abroad. What are the advantages of this vehicle?
"The Killer vehicle is based on an armoring capsule that combines different types of steel and an efficient 'geometric' structure, which enables a high level of protection, providing protection for all occupants of the vehicle, ergonomics, excellent off-roading, and all at a reduced weight, and minimal wear and tear", says Col. (res.) Yaron Sitbon, VP for Business Development at Top Car.

"The armoring includes an automotive upgrade, including final licensing and increasing the load capacity, under the full supervision of the German DEKRA laboratory for prototype testing under the EC 2007/46 standard, and prototype testing for vehicles with increased weight on an individual track, and certification from DEKRA to confirm compliance with the requirements and approval.”

"In addition, the armoring includes both the roof and the undercarriage (protection from explosive charges), and it does not take up much space, so that there is a very large space left for storing combat equipment, while the vehicle is also very convenient for rapid dismounting of soldiers. Several armies around the world have already expressed great interest in Killer, and we have a large deal on the way. We estimate that there will be great demand for this vehicle in the near future."

Turning a private vehicle into a bulletproof vehicle
In the past year, as mentioned, the company has expanded its areas of activity, and along with its entry into the world of semi-military vehicles, it has also developed a mobile personal protection kit that can be mounted on any type of vehicle, of any size, with rapid installation.

"Over the years, I have been aiming to develop a generic product, that is, an off-the-shelf protection product that will suit any vehicle, including private vehicles," says Doron Labock. "In the first stage, I developed a product that was suitable for protecting the rear seat only, and in recent years I was able to complete the next development stage – protection for the front seats. This complete protection system is especially suitable for private vehicles, which cannot carry a large weight of armoring." These products are registered as patents in Israel and in the USA.

Col. (Res.) Yaron Sitbon details the system's advantages: "First, the personal protection system is suitable for any type of vehicle, and is an ideal solution on a low budget. Secondly, it is a mobile system so that it can be disassembled from one vehicle and installed in another. Another advantage relates to savings on wear and tear. Here, it should be explained that one of the problems of an armored vehicle is high wear and tear, due to the weight on the armored chassis, and with our lightweight product you can remove the kit after every trip. Additional advantages are the ability to quickly dismount the kit, in just a few minutes, and finally the comfort – this is a kit that is integrally connected to the seats, so that you are sitting in an armored vehicle, and at the same time maintain the same degree of comfort."

Labock: "The mobile personal protection kit is registered as a patent of the company, and the whole idea here is that you can use it to protect any private vehicle, of any type, especially including vehicles that are not suitable in terms of their weight for conventional armoring, without the need for changing the chassis or special licensing. The protection device is easily assembled – and the private vehicle becomes a bulletproof vehicle. Another significant advantage – it is a one-time investment that will serve the customer for life, and there is no need to purchase an additional kit when the vehicle is replaced. It is also important to note that the product has successfully passed traffic tests by an accredited traffic standards institute, including field of vision, operation of driving systems, passenger safety, and more."

Is the personal kit intended mainly for private individuals?
"Not only for them. It is intended first and foremost for people who live in the conflict zones in the country – Judea and Samaria and along the borders, but also for the police, government companies, private companies, government entities and officials. Instead of protecting all the vehicles, they can protect an existing patrol car. This is a very significant financial saving for them."

The move to a new factory – to accommodate increasing exports
Top Car employs people with unique professional experience in the world of defense, and alongside the CEO Doron, its management includes Yaron Sitbon, who was demobilized from the army with the rank of colonel, and in his last position was the commander of the Marom Brigade, responsible for force building of the Special Forces in the IDF. Sitbon previously served as commander of an Oketz unit, commander of the School for Counterterrorism, and in various other command positions in the IDF, in the paratrooper brigade, and the Maglan unit.

Another member of the management is Nadav Willinger, a mechanical engineer with a BSc who manages the engineering department. Working alongside them is Peri Golan, a development supervisor with an executive MBA, who held a series of senior positions in the ISS and, among other things, served as head of the southern region and head of the organization's Arab wing. He has extensive operational and managerial experience, and knowledge that complements the development needs from the user's point of view.

The story of how VP Yaron Sitbon became involved is particularly interesting. "I decided to do a legacy study of the Oketz unit that I commanded, and the story of its establishment. As part of the comprehensive investigation we carried out, we found the person who had established the unit in 1974, which was Yossi Labock, Doron's father. We contacted him and he was very excited to take part in documenting the history of the unit and its first years, and over the years we kept in touch. Later, when I was released from all my security pursuits, the relationship between us became closer and that's how I came to the company."

Top Car is a recognized supplier of the Ministry of Defense and is approved by the army for the armoring of passenger vehicles funded by the Home Front Command. In addition, the company complies with the strictest quality standards, including ISO 9001 (quality management system approval including development), under the supervision of the Standards Institute and Welding Standards. The company also has laboratory certificates and prototype test reports from the Israeli Standards Institute and from an agency of the German Standards Institute for increasing vehicle weight, for many types of bullet-proof vehicles, which have been tested for compliance with the requirements of technical specifications for structural changes to install armoring in vehicles of the Ministry of Transport.

You are now looking to expand the company's export arm. What is your experience in exporting?
Labock: "In the past we had a number of projects to supply armoring for police vehicles in several countries in Africa, so we have the experience. But, as mentioned, we anticipate that in view of global developments, our export volume will increase significantly in the coming years, and the move to the new factory corresponds with this positive change."

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In collaboration with Top Car