Native armor: new armored vehicles of the post-Soviet countries
For decades, the national defense and defense industry used the achievements of Soviet times. But in recent years, the situation has begun to change for the better, and many original samples of modern weapons have appeared. And in this review we will tell you about some of the most noticeable units of new armored vehicles created in different countries in the post-Soviet space.
Armored combat vehicle Dozor-B. Ukraine
Ukrainian armored car Dozor-B is based on the 4×4 wheelbase. It is intended for the transport of personnel and cargo in combat. This model of armored vehicles is being produced so far only in single copies at the Kharkov Malyshev Plant.
The composition of this armored personnel carrier has much in common with the automobile, which allows it to be as mobile as possible, practical in operation and economical. The crew of Dozor-B is 3 people, in addition, it can carry up to 8 people in the landing compartment.
The body of the armored car, including the bottom, is protected by steel armor, which allows it to withstand small-arms fire and anti-personnel mine explosions. And the filtering unit can clean the air entering the car from the sending substances and radiation dust.
Dozor-B is armed with a 12.7-millimeter anti-aircraft machine-gun and a KBA-117 30-mm automatic grenade launcher.
BTR-4. Ukraine
Another product of the Ukrainian defense comes from Kharkov. This armored personnel carrier is a continuation of the Soviet BTR, however, it was built with new technologies and a modern understanding of combat missions. The BTR-4 is the base armor not only for mechanized infantry, but also for the rapid reaction forces and marines.
The successful design of the BTR-4 allows many modifications created to perform various tasks. The appearance of four different versions of this armored personnel carrier is connected with this.
BTR-4 is designed to perform combat missions at any time of the day on earth and on water at a temperature of from -40 to +44 degrees Celsius. The crew of an armored personnel carrier is 3 people, the car can also carry up to 7 people landing.
BTR-4 in its various modifications is in service with military units of Ukraine and Iraq. There is also a contract for the supply of this armored vehicle to Kazakhstan.
GAZ-2330 Tiger. Russia
And if the Ukrainian armored car Dozor-B is only trying to be put into mass production, its Russian counterpart, the GAZ-2330 Tiger, is already in full production in relatively large quantities. Since 2005, more than a thousand copies of this armored vehicle have appeared in various modifications that are in service with Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, China, Mongolia and some other countries.
Russian armored car GAZ-2330 Tiger
The tiger is designed to transport people and goods on roads and off-road. There is also a civil and front versions of this armored car. In the base model, the GAZ-2330 has no weapons – only closing loopholes in the body, from where you can fire from the crew’s small arms. But in one of the variations, the Tiger is equipped with an automatic heavy-duty grenade launcher for RPG-26 type grenades.
BMD-4M Gardener. Russia
BMB-4 is produced in Russia in 2004, and since the beginning of production, about 60 copies of this airborne combat vehicle have been produced. But in 2014 it is planned to launch into production a new modification of it, which promises to be more successful and more massive than the “mother” model, the BMD-4M Gardener.
The BMD-4M design allows for the landing of this vehicle along with the fighters inside (3 crew members + 5 paratroopers) from cargo aircraft. The weight of the Gardener is about the same as that of the BMD-4, but at the same time its armor is much better, it meets all the requirements regarding bulletproofness and protection from mines.
