One of the specialized vehicles that once belonged to the FBI popped up at a government auction earlier this week. It is a 27-ton command vehicle that the Bureau has retired. Some of the sensitive equipment has been removed from the upgraded Freighliner Argosy, but it still has a huge folding satellite dish at the rear and other features that could help turn it into a personal command center.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) was auctioning off the truck, which is currently in Auburn in Washington State. It belonged to the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. It is still not confirmed why the FBI has removed the vehicle, but Freightliner stopped selling the Argosy line in North America in 2006 and ended production of these trucks in 2020. This may have led to its high price, and complicated operations and maintenance.
Of course, the vehicle is also the better part of 20 years old now, so the Bureau may have decided to upgrade it during this time. The FBI continues to operate a number of different mobile command vehicles of various sizes and configurations. It is not known how much it originally costs to obtain this mobile command post, but it is quite easy to look for the listings for second-hand tractor truck models of the Argosy line that are tens of thousands of dollars more expensive than the current top bid on this vehicle. FBI paid exponentially more than that to buy this truck.
This ex-FBI vehicle is powered by an inline six-cylinder Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine, is 42 feet long and 13 feet,6 inches high. It has two sections in the middle on each side that stretch outward to offer more working space. Red and blue emergency lights and white floodlights are also found in various positions around the body.
The cab is associated with a sleeping compartment for the driver and the “trailer interior has [an] open floor plan,” according to GSA’s listing, which adds that there is “NO bathroom or sink.” Moreover, it is also having three desks and three sets of chairs.
According to GSA, all the FBI mission-critical electronics were removed. But it is noted that the truck still has a satellite dish on top at the rear. There is also an extendable mast behind the cab. The vehicle would have had external power outlets and cable jacks that could have been used to connect it to additional offboard systems.