The Patlabor franchise is home to many non-labor vehicles. While most on-screen vehicles are unremarkable, there exist a fair amount of vehicles created to serve specific purposes within the Patlabor franchise.
Ground Vehicles[]
Labor Carriers[]
Type 97 Labor Carrier
A labor carrier, as the name suggests, is a vehicle intended to transport labors. While most construction labors could be transported by heavy trucks and other large vehicles, police units opted to use specialized articulated trucks for labor transport. Thus, the labor carrier was born. A typical labor carrier featured an apparatus that could raise a patlabor into a standing position for rapid deployment, as well as basic repair facilities to allow for minor maintenance in the field.
Type 98 Command Car
Command Cars[]
A command car is a specialized armored car intended to accompany patlabor units at operating sites. The command car can provide additional communication capabilities and support to a labor, and the backup officer inside can act as a second set of eyes for the labor pilot. Additionally, the command car's smaller size than the labor carrier allows it to keep close contact with an operating labor, while its armored exterior makes it more survivable than a traditional police squad car.
List of Ground Vehicles[]
- Type 97 Labor Carrier
- Type 97 Command Car
- Type 98 Command Car
- Type 99 Labor Carrier
Air Vehicles[]
Helicopters[]
OH-1H Utility Helicopter
Helicopters appear relatively frequently in the Patlabor franchise, many of which offering novel and unique takes on real-world types. The most famous helicopter of Patlabor origin is the AFH-028 Hellhound attack helicopter, which featured prominently in Patlabor 2: The Movie. Most helicopters shown on-screen are unarmed utility types, used for carrying equipment and personnel.
Fighter Jets[]
Military fighter jets are not frequently seen in Patlabor, but the F-15J Kai Eagle Plus, a variant of the real-world F-15J Eagle, featured in an iconic scene in Patlabor 2: The Movie and has taken on a life of its own outside of the franchise. Another fighter, the F-16 Kai Night Falcon made its only on-screen appearances in that movie as well. As shown by these examples, the fighter aircraft seen in Patlabor are highly upgraded versions of real-life military jets.
List of Air Vehicles[]
- 01-6RB-II Scout Helicopter
- AFH-028 Hellhound
- AH-88J2 Kai "Gray Ghost"
- C130
- C-4
- CH-47J Chinook Kai
- Early Warning Aircraft
- F-15J Kai Eagle Plus
- F-16 Kai Night Falcon
- News Helicopter
- OH-1H Utility Helicopter
- SA366 Dauphin 2
- SA965N
- SH-9500