BLR is a shorter and lighter version of the BMR-600 armoured personnel carrier, designed for low intensity conflicts and internal security tasks for police units.The internal layout of the vehicle was designed to have a field of visibility of 360º, so it had a cupola with 8 observation periscopes for the commander of the vehicle.They had 2 armored windshields on the front and on the front corners of the vehicle. In addition they also had 2 to 5 viewing blocks on each side and 2 more on the rear, all of them with bulletproof glass.This vehicle had 1 door on each side as well as 2 rear doors to facilitate quick access and exit of the occupants, which could be a maximum of 12.The Spanish Air Force incorporated 14 BLRs in the 1980s to protect their Air Bases. They had a 7.62mm MG-3 machine gun as only weapon.This colorful camo pattern is only for exhibition purposes on the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum, Madrid, Spain. In service they wore a dark gray pattern suitable to places where they were deployed.The Spanish Marines received 18 vehicles in 1981 and were deployed with the Intervention Units in security and protection missions.The Civil Guard, a military unit that carries out police missions in Spain’s rural areas, was the other unit that used the BLR. Twenty-one vehicles were framed in the GAR counter-terrorist units.Civil Guard’s BLR had 5 vision blocks on the sides and other specific equipments. They were used mainly in the Basque Country in tasks of surveillance and protection of sensitive points against ETA terrorist attacks.This Civil Guard’s BLR has a CETME TC.9 OP turret installed. The turret was suitable for surveillance missions in all weather conditions. This assembly was only for testing purposes, but did not enter into service.
