The bad ass four-wheeling adventure idea was born out of necessity in the North African desert during the Second World War. Equipping Jeeps with machine guns so troops could harass German airfields and encampments. The rugged, highly mobile Jeep made it possible to shoot and scoot without getting one’s ass shot off by some very ticked off Wehrmacht. These Rat Patrols, as they came to be known, were so successful, they were given their own television show in the 1960s. (Catch the action at FanTV).

The Rat Patrols might be gone, but the Tactical Jeep lives on. Today’s Tactical Jeep isn’t just rigged with machine guns, it’s a got a hell of a lot more power under the hood, some sophisticated dash-mounted GPS navigation and self-driving capabilities, and yeah, it’s got some hefty firepower too. According to Tactical-Life.com, a tactical ride is both a rugged and reliable specially equipped Jeep utilized by law enforcement, security contractors, military outfits, and of course, private citizens who can’t get enough of their weekend warier lifestyle.

The Tactical, or Tac, Jeep has got to operate on both paved and off-road conditions. It’s got to have four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, automatic and/or manual transmission (the 2012 Wrangler yours truly drives operates with a hybrid auto/manual tranny), and enough ground clearance to negotiate logs, boulders, dead bodies, pieces of blown up debris, and more. It’s also got to have the right tires. Not mudders, but a set of 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrack tires will definitely do the trick.

If you’re operating in a war zone or maybe Border Patrol, you’ll want to equip your Tac Jeep with life-preserving features like run-flat tires, bullet-resistant glass, and body armor, both on the side panels and on the underside to ward off those pesky IEDs. As for the engine? A gasoline-powered 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 air-cooled engine will suffice, although in special instances, some Jeeps can be equipped with a diesel engine. The point here is not comfort, but speed, rugged reliability, safety, and mobility.

Should you decide to build your own Tac Jeep, the amount of add-on features seems limited only to your imagination. A 10,000 pound capacity winch attached to a Garvin G2 front bumper is a good idea just in case the mud gets too deep and you need to get pulled out. The rear bumper can be outfitted with a swing-away combination spare tire/tool/gas (Geri) can system, while a roof rack that allows for the hardtop roof panels to be removed is a must. A 2-inch lift suspension kit can be mounted to the swing-away carrier or mounted to the front hood. You’ll also want to install a snorkel and extra Geri cans on the side panels for additional water and gasoline.

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking. All this fancy gadgetry is all well and good, but what about firepower? Well, unlike the Rat Patrols of old, or those tactical Jeeps currently roaming the outskirts of Syria and Iraq, Johnny Q Public Citizen can’t very well get away with mounting a .50 cal or a rapid-fire Minigun to his roll bar. Or can he?

FourWheeler Network reports on a Utah Jeep enthusiast who not only transformed his 2011 3.8L V-6 Wrangler into a Tactical Jeep, he mounted a P3 Airsoft Minigun to the rack. Said to be based on the GE Vulcan Minigun in operation around the world’s hot spots today, the Airsoft version is capable of firing 50 rounds (biodegradable plastic BBs) per second. That Airsoft Minigun is not a toy, considering it was able to obliterate a junkyard television set at fifty paces, which means it’s also dangerous enough to make hamburger out of a grown man’s backside.

The homegrown Tactical Jeep doesn’t limit itself to just a single Minigun however. Mounted to its side panels via Kydex holsters are two ACR Airsoft rifles. One can also mount pistol holders to the vehicle’s center console. What’s so great about these Airsoft modifications? If the End of Days (or World War III for that matter) should come upon us, the Airsoft weapons can be substituted with the real thing.

Building your own version of the ultimate Tactical Jeep can obviously be a lot of fun. All that’s required is time, passion, some cash, and a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But what if you don’t have the time to devote to such a project? You can, of course, purchase the ultimate tactical Jeep. In fact, if you have a spare couple hundred K lying around, you can drive one off the lot today.

Meet the ultimate Tactical Jeep. GearJunkie recently reported that this Tactical Urban Vehicle is the brainchild of Rezvani Motors in Irvine, Calif. Nicknamed the Tank, it looks like something from out of a sci-fi movie, but under the hood, it is pure Jeep Wrangler. The base model features a 3.6L V6 engine and on-demand 4X4 capability. It’s got a leather interior, Extreme Off-Road capable 37 in. tires, and you can feel safe driving the kids to school surrounded by its Kevlar armor and bulletproof glass. You can even order a night vision upgrade. What’s more, if you want to part with a few more bucks, you can power up the engine with a 6.4L V8 motor that pumps out 500 horsepower. No wonder they call it the Tank.

Whether your goal is a fire-arm equipped tactical Jeep that will keep you safe on the battleground like the Rat Patrol of old, a custom tactical build that will provide you with thrills and spills in the outback all weekend long, or just a bad ass Tank of a 4X4 for driving around the badlands of West Hollywood, the Tactical Jeep just might be the ultimate adventure ride.

–Vincent Zandri