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R-1 Rescue All Terrain Transport (RATT)

The Rescue All Terrain Transport (RATT) is a high-mobility vehicle used by Air Force special operations to transport and treat casualties in the field, for airfield seizures and as a field utility vehicle. 

In the late 1980s, Air Force special tactics units needed an agile rescue and casualty evacuation vehicle to replace the Jeeps then in use. Raceco, an off-road racing vehicle manufacturer, built the prototype in 1991. The RATT can carry up to six ambulatory patients on litters and two medical personnel (usually PJs). It is equipped with two 24-volt batteries to provide power for medical equipment and floodlights at each patient station. Between 1992-1994, Raceco built 14 RATTs. 

The RATT has many features to maximize its utility and mobility. It has an "instant kill" switch that turns off all the white lights, and it has infrared headlights to travel at night. The overall structure of the RATT is light but strong. Its 110-hp Porsche engine is air-cooled, thereby eliminating the weight of the radiator and cooling fluid used in a water-cooled engine. The RATT can be transported in a C-130 aircraft and in some helicopters.

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