Anti-Zombie Vehicle
Anti-Zombie Vehicle or AZV for short are a legal to own, produce or possess civilian vehicle that has been heavily modified and designed for urban combat, usually used by registered HDS personnel and militias. Called AZV's in Everett, are known and widely used around the world as "Technicals" or "Improvised Fighting Vehicles". AZV cars and trucks are usually armored and are capable of adding or mounting weapons, artillery or explosives, either licensed to own and possess or homemade weaponry, the latter usually illegal in some circumstances. The Anti-Zombie Vehicle received its nickname due to the appearance of the vehicle and its usage in zombie movies, a civilian car, modified to be armored and armed with weapons, capable of entering disaster and war zones, surviving generally dangerous situations and more notably, running down and battering foot soldiers (or zombies in many Hollywood movies). In many instances, enemy soldiers are referred to as "zombie drones" as reference to enemy nation's totalitarian leadership and control of the minds its people.
Anatomy of an Anti-Zombie Vehicle
An AZV may consist of any normal civilian vehicle, ranging from sedans to Sport Utility Vehicles to buses, trucks, 18 wheeled rigs and others. The most notable part of an AZV is the armor, usually protecting the windows, tires, gas tank, engine and doors. Some smaller vehicles may feature roll cages. Most vehicles possess run-flat tires and shatter resistant glass. Many vehicles chosen to be converted into an AZV consist of SUVs, trucks, pick-up trucks, buses, jeeps, old military medium cargo trucks (M939) and other 4x4 or 6x6 vehicles. AZV vehicles are armed with mounts for small arms, artillery, launchers or storage of other weapons such as grenades, hand-held launchers and homemade devices. Registered militias and native American tribal militias usually have access to more powerful forms of weaponry compared to HDS personnel, civlian gun owners or random civilians. HDS personnel may be capable of arming AZV vehicles with mounted machine guns, .50 caliber weapons, smoke and flash grenades, fireworks and homemade launchers launching homemade weapons. Militias may have access to anti-tank launchers and weapons, .50 caliber anti-tank/anti-personnel/material weapons, high explosives, grenade launching devices, anti-tank mines, IED materials, mounted heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and licensed treaded vehicles, usually older tanks and decommissioned vehicles or howitzers. These parts and weapons may be merged with an Anti-Zombie Vehicle project to create mobile civilian tanks, using a bus for example to create a mobile armored howitzer, utilizing battering rams on the front of the bus in addition to mounted machine guns and other arms.
Legality
Due to the sensitive nature of licensing military grade weapons to militias, the government monitors, provides training and works closely with registered militias, HDS personnel and native American tribal militias to maintain order and trust. Inspections are required annually of registered militias and additional inspections may take place during combat training between a militia and Everetti military. Militias are not allowed to possess large explosives capable of destroying buildings although inspectors have found and confiscated modified motor vehicle class fusion cell batteries, which are known for being capable of causing extensive damage. Anti-Zombie Vehicles are required to pass inspection annually and must be registered to the state as an AZV class vehicle. Some vehicles are registered as "road legal" and can be driven on the streets outside of war time. Generally these vehicles feature quick take-down armor and armaments so the vehicle appears to be a normal civilian vehicle. During war time, generally a Code Alert 1 or Defcon 2 or heightened status, AZV's are considered "street legal". During intense weather systems, such as a hurricane, blizzard or tornado warning, AZV's are street legal. Following a natural disaster, including during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, AZV's are street legal. During the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Haitian militias used their vehicles to clear roads by forcing debris and vehicles off the roads, transporting supplies through impassable streets and aided in maintaining security and order in the disaster area as government and police were not capable of providing such aid or order. AZV vehicles were used in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster, transporting aid and supplies through flooded streets.