At the moment, Kazakhstan cannot boast of a developed defense industry, and besides, it does not have its own design school. Nevertheless, the army of the state still needs different equipment, and therefore is forced to turn to third countries for help. Several years ago, the result of international cooperation was the emergence of a new armored car "Arlan".
Without its own production of armored cars, Kazakhstan turned to foreign specialists for help. The Kazakh military studied well-known offers on the international market and identified the most interesting ones. Soon there were several contracts for the purchase of finished equipment or the organization of licensed production in Kazakhstan. One of the new contracts was signed with the Paramount Group (South Africa), known for its developments in the field of wheeled armored combat vehicles.
Marauder armored cars. Photo by Paramount Group / paramountgroup.com
The contract provided for the organization of a joint venture, which was to carry out the assembly of armored cars of the Marauder type. At the same time, the parties decided to modify the existing project of the combat vehicle, taking into account the peculiarities of the climate of the customer country. In a modified form, the armored car was named "Arlan" ("Wolf"). It was indicated that the armed forces and other structures of Kazakhstan could order, in total, no less than two hundred new armored cars.
Recall that the Paramount Marauder multipurpose armored car was created in the middle of the last decade and was positioned as a protected vehicle for transporting people or small loads. The machine, which was distinguished by a sufficiently high level of protection, was able to interest some foreign customers. For several years, more than a hundred armored cars have been sent to Algeria, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Congo.
In the recent past, Kazakhstan showed interest in the Marauder armored car. The first result of this was the emergence of an agreement between the organizations Paramount Group and Kazakhstan Engineering, in accordance with which the joint venture Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering was created. At the beginning of December 2013, the ceremony of laying a new plant was held in Astana, and at the end of November 2015, the finished plant was solemnly launched. It took about a year to assemble the first batch of armored cars.
According to known data, the production of armored cars "Arlan", which started at the end of 2015, continues to this day. At the same time, the number of cars built remains unknown. Different sources give different estimates, from several tens to hundreds. Officials previously argued that the joint work of the South African plant and the joint venture will allow building up to 120 armored cars per year, and the transfer of production to two shifts will make it possible to increase the pace to 200 vehicles per year. It is not known to what extent the potential of the Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering plant is being realized.
Driver's workplace. Photo by Paramount Group / paramountgroup.com
The Kazakh press in the recent past provided some details of future orders. Thus, it was argued that the power structures of Kazakhstan need at least two hundred "Arlans". Thus, after the completion of the construction of the 200th armored vehicle, new contracts may appear for the release of the following batches of equipment for certain customers. However, exact information on this matter has not yet appeared. Kazakhstan-assembled armored cars are now supplied only to local structures.
In the spring of this year, Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering has revealed some of its plans to enter the international market. A few years ago, Azerbaijan agreed with Paramount Group on the supply of assembly kits for Marauder armored vehicles. The final assembly of this equipment is carried out by Azerbaijani specialists. The joint venture Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering wished to enter into such cooperation and undertake the assembly of finished machines for Azerbaijan.
In the future, the possibility of licensed assembly of Marauder cars for Azerbaijan was repeatedly mentioned in new statements, but the matter has not gone further than talk. Two states of the near abroad still assemble armored vehicles on their own and only for their own needs. Moreover, there are grounds for doubting the very possibility of organizing trilateral cooperation between South Africa, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
According to known data, the joint venture in Astana is currently continuing the assembly of Arlan armored cars for the power structures of Kazakhstan. New vehicles are being built by order of the armed forces and the national guard. Armored cars for different customers almost do not differ from each other. Perhaps the most significant difference is their color. The National Guard gets vehicles in black, while the army gets vehicles in green.
Police version of the armored car. Photo by Paramount Group / paramountgroup.com
Earlier it was reported that Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering not only receives ready-made units from abroad, but also independently manufactures certain products. In particular, the Kazakh industry has mastered the assembly of armored hulls and some other parts. In the first batches of "Arlans" the degree of localization of production was only 39%. With the further construction of armored vehicles, it is planned to increase this figure to 60-70%.
The situation is interesting with the supply of engines. The Marauder / Arlan project provides for the use of American-designed Cummins diesels. It was these power plants that were used on armored vehicles of the first batches. Later, a new supplier was found in the person of one of the Russian enterprises. He offered his engine, which fully meets the requirements of the project. Starting from the second batch, Arlan armored cars receive just such motors.
At the moment, the Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering plant builds only Arlan armored cars. In the near future, the range of products will have to be replenished with some new samples. According to previous statements by officials, Kazakhstan will begin licensed assembly of several other armored combat vehicles developed by Paramount Group designers.
"Arlan" is a multipurpose armored vehicle capable of transporting personnel with weapons or the necessary equipment. Depending on the existing requirements and tasks, the armored car can be used for patrolling areas, escorting convoys, as well as for transporting and providing fire support for infantry units. The original Marauder project provides for the use of a basic armored vehicle as a base for special-purpose vehicles.
Arlan armored cars in the Kazakh army. Photo IA "Arms of Russia" / arms-expo.ru
Due to the installation of one or another additional equipment or weapons, the protected transport can become an ambulance or command post vehicle. It is also possible to install a combat module with cannon or missile weapons. Previously, the development company demonstrated a police car designed for riot control.
The main structural element of the Marauder / "Arlan" vehicle is a load-bearing armored body that meets modern requirements for military wheeled vehicles. The hull has spaced armor, providing ballistic protection of 3 levels of the STANAG 4569 standard. Thus, the internal compartments are protected from armor-piercing rifle bullets. The armor is said to be capable of withstanding a 12.7mm bullet without a reinforced core. The possibility of equipping the armored car with hinged modules that increase the level of ballistic protection is declared.
Like other modern armored cars, created taking into account current threats, "Arlan" is equipped with a characteristic V-shaped bottom. Such a body is able to protect the crew from the detonation of an 8-kg explosive device both under the wheel and under the bottom.
The armored body has a bonnet configuration, traditional for this technique. In its front part, the power plant units are placed, and the large rear compartment is made habitable - it is intended for the crew and troops. It is possible to transport some goods without using the internal space of the machine, for which several large boxes are located outside the main body.
"Arlan" on the ground. Photo IA "Arms of Russia" / arms-expo.ru
In the original project of the armored car, it was proposed to use a 300 hp Cummins diesel engine connected to an Allison 3000SP automatic transmission. The latter provides power transmission to all four wheels. A two-axle undercarriage was also developed, providing high cross-country ability on rough terrain.
The Arlan armored car must be driven by its own crew of two. The driver and commander are located in front of the crew compartment. Behind them are eight landing seats: four on each side. All crew members and paratroopers have at their disposal energy-absorbing seats that reduce the negative impact of the blast shockwave.
The machine has developed glazing, which provides a full view of the surrounding area. It is proposed to follow the road with the help of a frontal bulletproof glass, consisting of one or two large panels. Smaller glazing is available on the side doors. The sides of the troop compartment are equipped with a pair of rectangular glass openings. The rear hemisphere can be observed through a window in the aft door. The side glazing of armored cars for Kazakhstan is equipped with embrasures for firing from personal weapons.
One of the main modifications of the original project, carried out at the insistence of the Kazakh side, was to improve the climatic equipment. From the point of view of climate, South Africa and Kazakhstan do not have cardinal differences, but the customer of the Arlan armored cars demanded the use of a new air conditioner. The device with a power of 14 kW provides comfortable work for the crew and troops at ambient temperatures from -50 ° C to + 50 ° C. To install heat exchangers and air conditioning fans, the authors of the project had to sacrifice part of the external cargo boxes.
Climbing an obstacle. Photo IA "Arms of Russia" / arms-expo.ru
In front of the roof of the armored car, a place is provided for mounting a remote-controlled combat module. Equipment for Kazakhstan is equipped with modules equipped with NSVT heavy machine guns. According to official information from the developer of the basic project, it is possible to use other systems, up to anti-tank missile launchers. In all cases, the armament is controlled from a control panel installed at the commander's workplace.
Armored cars Marauder and "Arlan" have a total length of about 6.5 m with a body width of 2.66 m and a height (on the roof, excluding weapons) - 2.75 m. The curb weight is determined by the configuration of the vehicle and can vary from 11 to 13.5 tons. With a payload of up to 4 tons, the armored car can weigh up to 17 tons. At the same time, it is capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km / h on the highway. The undercarriage provides movement over rough terrain and overcoming various obstacles. It is proposed to cross the reservoirs along fords up to 1, 2 m deep.
To date, armored vehicles developed and built in the Republic of South Africa managed to enter service with several foreign countries. Kazakhstan also showed interest in such equipment, but did not want to purchase finished products and initiated the licensed assembly of armored cars on its territory. Now the joint venture Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering intends to enter the international market by offering its armored vehicles to third countries. Whether it will be possible to do this, and how, in this case, the work of the companies of South Africa and Kazakhstan will be organized - time will tell.
