Russia’s Military-Industrial Company (VPK) is working on a new armoured vehicle designed for use by police, company director Alexander Krasovitsky has announced.
“The vehicle will probably be oriented more toward the export market. It’s official name is the ‘VPK-23136 Special Military Vehicle’, and it uses elements from the Atlet armoured vehicle. In essence we’re creating a new dual-purposed armoured vehicle,” Krasovitsky said in an interview.
The vehicle is expected to make its debut at the Army-2020 International Military-Technical Forum outside Moscow in August.
The Atlet appeared at the Army show last year, with preliminary testing of the vehicle already successfully completed, and state testing scheduled for May.
The blast-resistant 4x4 vehicle includes a number of design features meant to improve its survivability, including enhanced protection against mines, improvised explosive devices and projectiles. The vehicle includes a unique V-shaped hull and anti-trauma seats attached to the frame, rather than its floor, the purpose being to prevent injury to crew in the event of a blast for high levels of MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) defense.
Although its appearance and characteristics have been compared to the Tigr, the 4x4 all-terrain infantry mobility vehicle produced by the GAZ Corporation, the Atlet is actually in a separate class, featuring increased mine and ballistic resistance, a more powerful Russian-made engine, and a carrying capacity 100 kg more than the Tigr’s 1,500 kg payload.
