Berliner Tageblatt - Fred Stoof of Stoof International presents armoured world novelties to government representatives at the DSEI Japan Makuhari fair in Tokyo

You don't have to look hard to spot big names like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries among the more than 500 exhibitors from around the world. STOOF INTERNATIONAL from Borkheide, in the German state of Brandenburg, where the company STOOF INTERNATIONAL researches and manufactures the latest developments for armoured vehicles, in strict seclusion, is also represented in Tokyo.

While it was recently the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, it is currently government representatives and high-ranking military officers, such as the Defence Attache of the German Embassy, Colonel Karsten Kiesewetter, the Envoy to the German Embassy in Tokyo, Dr. Klaus Vietze and Brigadier General Direktor Planung Kommando Heer (KdoH), to whom Fred Stoof presents the latest developments of STOOF INTERNATIONAL in Tokyo.
High government officials and generals are interested in STOOF INTERNATIONAL at the DSEI Japan Makuhari Fair https://www.dsei-japan.com, corporations and their security departments seek advice from Fred Stoof to transport their managers and protection personnel in armoured vehicles on a daily basis.

STOOF INTERNATIONAL demonstrates a long tradition in the secure transportation of protective personnel, and this is not the first time STOOF INTERNATIONAL has come into contact with Tokyo, the place where Emperor Naruhito ascended the Japanese Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019 and was officially proclaimed the 126th Tenn on 22 October 2019.

When Karl August Stoof founded his company in 1865, he was on the cutting edge with the manufacture of horse-drawn carriages. When the first automobiles came on the market, his successors entered the vehicle production business. The need for armoured vehicles quickly developed, be it the vehicle of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, the Irish politician and revolutionary leader Michael Collins, Pope Pius XI, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito or the car of King Paul I of Greece as well as other state leaders at the time, specially protected automobiles have been necessary for more than one hundred years and are still necessary today to ward off attacks.

Since 1989, STOOF International, under the leadership of Fred Stoof, now in the fifth generation, has concentrated on the research, development and production of armoured vehicles and security cells based on security aspects.

Only at the beginning of the current year 2023, the legendary "TROJAN" based on the Toyota LC 300, in resistance class VR9, was presented by STOOF International and is thus unchallenged, in this highest level of armouring, as the most heavily armoured certified SUV ever, with absolute maximum protection for civilian, military and police missions, usable as an armoured SUV and armoured sedan for smooth driving on all roads, light, medium and heavy terrain, reinforced with high-performance components on body, frame, suspension, wheels and brakes.

In a world where security is becoming a more important issue, armoured cars are the first choice for people who need extra protection. From government officials to celebrities to businessmen protecting themselves from possible attacks, armoured cars are becoming more popular and to introduce them, the DSEI Japan Makuhari Exhibition, from 15 March to 17 March 2023, in Tokyo, provides the most important platform in Asia.

DSEI 2023 is one of the most important opportunities for government officials and defence experts to share the latest developments in the industry and network at the numerous discussion forums and seminars.

The standard of armoured vehicles in the certified standard VR9 and VR7, is an internationally recognised level of armour and is defined by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). VR9 and VR7 armoured vehicles, which STOOF INTERNATIONAL manufactures in Borkheide, Germany, are capable of withstanding various threats such as ballistic attacks, explosions and attacks with the heaviest weapons.

The armouring of B7 cars consists of several layers of special steel and ceramic plates strategically placed in the vehicle to maximise protection. The windows are made of special glass plates that provide maximum transparency while offering the highest resistance to attack.

This type of vehicle is usually intended for military purposes and for the protection of VIPs and government officials. The number of companies producing B7 vehicles is limited, as it is costly to bring a vehicle to this high standard, in this league STOOF INTERNATIONAL is the undisputed world leader. STOOF INTERNATIONAL's vehicles are not only designed according to the civilian guidelines VPAM (Association of Testing Bodies for Attack Resistant Materials and Constructions).

Armoured vehicles from STOOF INTERNATIONAL are tested according to the military standard STANAG 4569 (STANAG, Standardisation Agreement of the NATO Standardisation Office, NSO). The official testing and certification of specially protected STOOF vehicles is carried out by the independent German state bombardment office in Mellrichstadt, as part of the German Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

Two examples of terrorist attacks on government officials who would not have survived without the protection of their heavily armoured cars show the importance of these vehicles.
On 19 April 1995, Jose María Aznar, at that time still the leader of the opposition in Spain, survived an explosive attack in his Audi type official car in the B6/B7 resistance class still in force in 1995; Aznar survived with minor injuries. On 9 February 1998, an attack was carried out on the then Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. The assassins used RPG-7 armour-piercing grenades. Despite two hits to the bonnet of the armoured B6/B7 S-class, the driver managed to get the vehicle out of the danger zone. Although the vehicle was badly damaged, Shevardnadze, its driver and two of his bodyguards remained almost unharmed.

When asked by "Berliner Tageblatt" to Fred Stoof at the DSEI Japan Makuhari Fair what makes VR-certified armoured vehicles special, Fred Stoof told "Berliner Tageblatt" in Tokyo: "Special protection vehicles of the VR7 and VR9 standard, are an indispensable tool for the protection of personalities of the highest importance. They offer a high degree of safety and mobility and ensure that the occupants are protected in dangerous situations, because it is first and foremost a matter of the occupants' lives.
It is precisely for this purpose that STOOF INTERNATIONAL in Germany researches and improves its manufacturing processes and armour every day."

Information of VR9 armoured "TOJAN" from STOOF INTERNATIONAL, see here = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0PPb_tXPOs

You can see more information about STOOF INTERNATIONAL here: https://www.stoof-international.de/en/home