Breaking news
KAMAZ is testing new mine resistant ambush protected vehicle MRAP for Russian Airborne troops TASS 11308161.
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Defence & Security Industry News - KAMAZ
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| KAMAZ is testing new mine resistant ambush protected vehicle MRAP for Russian Airborne troops. | |||
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Russia`s KAMAZ (a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation) company is testing a mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles for the Airborne Forces (Russian acronym: VDV, Vozdushno-Desantnie Voyska), according to a source in the indigenous defense industry.
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 Russian-made KAMAZ-53949 4x4 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle |
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"At present, the Special Vehicles Plant (a subsidiary of KAMAZ) is conducting the trials of the newest KAMAZ-53949/K4386 4x4 wheeled MRAP car intended for the VDV troops. The vehicle will have been tested by the year-end. We suppose that the service will bring the cars into service in early 2017," the source said.
He added that the vehicle is intended for the Special Forces of VDV. "The 4x4 wheeled car has a combat weight of 14 t (including a payload of 3 t), an operational range of 1,200 km, and a maximum road speed of 105 km/h. It is powered by a multifuel diesel engine (350 h.p.) coupled with an automatic transmission developed by the Russian defense industry. The basic variant of KAMAZ-53949/K4386 is not equipped with weapon. However, the MRAP vehicle can be armed with various remote controlled weapon stations (RCWWS), for instance, 6S21 developed by the Burevestnik scientific-research institute (a subsidiary of the Uralvagonzavod/UVZ scientific-research corporation) or MBDU developed by the Kalashnikov Group (a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation). The vehicle is supposed to receive even 30mm automatic cannon," the source said. |
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He added that the program to develop a MRAP vehicle for the VDV troops was initiated in mid-2016. "The Commander of the VDV service, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov saw the mockup of the car in November 2013 and highly estimated it. In May 2016, the general said that the troops would receive the K4386 vehicles to conduct reconnaissance and special operations in the near future. The operational tests of the car are scheduled for late 2016. The VDV service is planning to acquire about 20-30 armoured cars at the first stage of the program," the source pointed out.
The KAMAZ-53949/K4386 MRAP vehicle is armoured at Level 3 (K) STANAG 4569 (all-round protection against 7.62mm hard steel/tungsten alloy armour-piercing bullets at 30 m distance). The MRAP car can withstand the explosion of 8 kg (explosive mass) anti-tank mine under its belly or any wheel (Level 3 (M) a/b STANAG 4569). It is equipped with 14.00 R20 run-flat tires. The engine compartment of the car is reinforced with additional ceramic armour plates. KAMAZ-53949/K4386 can be armed with a remotely controlled 14.5mm KPVT heavy machinegun to increase the vehicle`s self-defense capabilities. The car has a passenger capacity of six to eight mounted soldiers. The demonstrator of the car was powered by a multifuel diesel engine (350 h.p.) developed by Cummins and produced by KAMAZ under license. It is supposed to be replaced by a Russian-originated analogue under the import substitution program. The engine is coupled with an automatic transmission. The car also features an independent hydropneumatic suspension, an automatic maximum pressure override system, an air conditioning unit, and anti-blast seats (ABS). The ABSs integrated with the KAMAZ-53949/K4386 MRAP vehicle significantly increase the survivability of the mounted soldiers on the modern battlefield, the source added. Previously, KAMAZ developed the KAMAZ-63968 Taifun-K (Typhoon K) 6x6 heavy MRAP vehicle intended for Russia`s Land Forces and Special Forces. The source pointed out that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) has already received about 70 Taifun-K armoured cars. "KAMAZ is planning to become one of the major suppliers of MRAP vehicles to the Russian Armed Forces. I suppose that both KAMAZ-53949 and KAMAZ-63968 will be in high demand at the global arms market," he emphasized. |
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