THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
Cutting-edge technologies for the security of armoured civil vehicles by Fred Stoof, Owner and Managing Director, Stoof International GmbH, Borkheide
T
oday’s world is not a safe place. Towards the end of the 20th century, which was marked by armed conflicts, there was widespread hope for peaceful development. Conflicts, however, have not disappeared – they have become more complex. Nowadays, conflicts among ethnic and religious minorities, over self-determination and independence, sparked by underdevelopment, overpopulation and destruction of natural livelihoods by droughts and lack of water, are on the rise. They frequently provide a perfect breeding ground for terrorist groups and extremists to take up the fight for their goals, to overthrow states and societies. The difficulty to find peaceful solutions is often exacerbated by the involvement of regional or great powers striving for hegemonic influence. Europe cannot turn a blind eye: this situation also results in a continuous flow of refugees posing various challenges for its societies.
Doctors Without Borders, but also national aid organisations are active in crisis regions, usually from the very beginning. Being exposed to the same risks as military personnel in their operational areas, deployed civil organisations must provide their personnel with adequate protection. The armoured civilian off-road vehicles and special security vehicles made by Stoof International offer this protection. For decades, we have gathered experience from missions around the world in a wide range of threat scenarios and extreme terrains and climates and have translated this knowhow into a constantly evolving
Fred Stoof is the managing director and owner of Stoof International GmbH, a mid-sized family business founded in 1865. Fred Stoof led the com-
Protecting civilian peacekeepers What is needed is the early involvement of governmental and civilian aid organisations. The deployment of military force to end such conflicts and stabilise regions can only establish basic conditions for long-term economic and public recovery. Therefore, international organisations such as the United Nations with its refugee and food relief branches, the European Union and the World Bank, international NGOs such as
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pany from its humble beginnings Photo: private
to the No 1 position in Europe. His company supplies international
governmental and civilian organisations with his special armoured vehicles, enabling them to carry out their important missions in regions of crisis and conflict with the highest possible degree of security for their personnel.
photo: Stoof
Providing civilian personnel with adequate protection