What the levels actually mean
Protection is certified by laboratory test against a published standard. The VR scale comes from VPAM and is used for current certification; the B scale comes from the older EN 1063 vocabulary and is still used commercially. We quote what the vehicle's own certificate says.
Certified against handgun ammunition including .44 Magnum. The entry level for discreet protection, and the one that changes the vehicle least: weight gain is moderate, the car still looks and largely drives like the standard model.
Certified against rifle rounds in the calibres most often encountered, including 7.62 x 39. This is the level most executive protection programmes in Europe are built around, and the level at which weight, braking and tyre choice stop being details.
Certified against armour-piercing rifle ammunition. Substantially heavier again, with consequences for range, comfort and the way the car must be driven. Specified when a documented threat assessment calls for it, not as an upgrade.
Four things clients discover late
An armoured car is a different car
Certification adds hundreds of kilos of ballistic steel and laminated glass. Braking distances lengthen, the centre of gravity shifts, the tyres are run-flat and the suspension is uprated to carry the load. A driver who has not trained on that weight will brake late and corner wide. We assign chauffeurs who have.
The glass is the constraint, not the steel
Ballistic glazing is thick, heavy and cannot be lowered on most builds. That changes how a stop is handled at a barrier, how documents are passed, and how the cabin is ventilated. It is the detail that surprises first-time users, so we brief it before the assignment rather than at the gate.
Certification is a document, not an adjective
A vehicle is protected at a level because a laboratory tested it and issued a certificate against a published standard, VPAM VR or the older EN 1063 scale. We work from the certificate. If a vehicle cannot show one, it is not offered as armoured.
Lead time is the real limit
Certified vehicles are not held in volume anywhere in Europe, and the right one is rarely in the right city on the right morning. Tell us the date as early as you can: what takes time is positioning the vehicle and the trained driver, not agreeing the assignment.
How an assignment is built
Threat picture
You describe the exposure, or your security adviser does. We do not sell a protection level, we match one to what you tell us.
Vehicle and certificate
We source a vehicle at the agreed level through our network and confirm the certification before anything else is discussed.
Driver and route
A chauffeur trained on armoured weight is assigned, the route and its alternates are planned, and stop points are chosen for the vehicle rather than for convenience.
Escort if required
Where close protection accompanies the movement, it is arranged through licensed operators under the Belgian private security framework, and confirmed with you in writing.
Questions we are asked
Does FFGR Belgium keep armoured vehicles on standby in Brussels?
Armoured vehicles are sourced and coordinated through our network for the assignment, not held as a standing fleet. Certified vehicles are scarce across Europe and are positioned for the mission. That is why lead time matters more here than for any other service we offer.
What is the difference between B6 and VR6?
They describe comparable levels of protection under two different scales. B4, B6 and B7 come from the older EN 1063 vocabulary still used commercially. VR4, VR6 and VR7 come from the VPAM standard used for current certification. We quote the level shown on the vehicle's own certificate.
Which level should be specified?
That follows from the threat assessment, not from budget or preference. VR4 addresses handgun threat, VR6 addresses common rifle calibres and is where most European executive protection programmes sit, VR7 addresses armour-piercing rifle ammunition. If you have a security adviser, we work from their assessment. If you do not, we will tell you plainly what each level does and does not cover.
Is a special licence required to be driven in an armoured vehicle in Belgium?
A civilian armoured passenger car is registered and driven as an ordinary vehicle. What is regulated in Belgium is private security activity, including close protection, which falls under the law of 2 October 2017 and requires authorisation from the Federal Public Service Interior. Where protection accompanies a movement, we work with licensed operators.
Can an armoured vehicle cross borders?
Cross-border movements are planned case by case. Rules on armoured vehicles and on any accompanying protection differ from one country to the next, so the itinerary, the paperwork and the escort arrangement are confirmed before departure rather than assumed.
Start with the exposure, not the catalogue
Tell us the dates, the itinerary and what your security adviser has assessed. We come back with the level, the vehicle and the lead time. Every assignment is quoted individually.
Discuss an assignment