Combat buses … After the peaceful collapse of Czechoslovakia, two states appeared on the map of Europe on January 1, 1993: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The countries inherited weapons inherited from Czechoslovakia, including those of Soviet production. At the same time, the industrial and military potential of the countries was different. The Czech Republic became a state with a more developed heavy industry and a good defense complex. Slovakia, on the other hand, was primarily a country with diversified agriculture.
Despite this, a number of large industrial enterprises and close production ties with a neighbor have survived in Slovakia, which allows the country to produce some samples of modern military equipment. In particular, already in the 1990s, the Tatrapan armored car was developed in Slovakia, the basic version of which is used as an armored personnel carrier. In the Slovak army, Tatrapan was eventually supposed to replace the decommissioned OT-64 armored personnel carriers of Czechoslovak production. In addition, the new combat vehicle was originally designed with an eye on export supplies, as an inexpensive model of armored vehicles for states that do not have serious financial capabilities.
The creation of the Tatrapan armored personnel carrier
The newly-made state began to think about creating a new combat vehicle in the first years of its existence. A new model of armored vehicles was supposed to replace some of the decommissioned OT-64 armored personnel carriers. At the same time, the OT-64 armored personnel carrier, even today, is not so outdated, its Soviet "relatives" BTR-70 and BTR-80 are still in service with many countries of the world, including the Russian armed forces. And the army of Slovakia is in no hurry to completely get rid of the Czechoslovak and Soviet technology. The backbone of the fleet of small armed forces is still the Soviet BMP-1 and BMP-2, as well as the OT-64 and OT-90 armored personnel carriers. The last vehicle is a conventional BMP-1, on which, instead of a standard turret, a turret from an OT-64A armored personnel carrier with machine-gun armament is installed.
If we talk about the very structure of the Slovak army, then there are only two mechanized brigades in the country's armed forces, and the total number of ground forces barely exceeds six thousand people. The legacy left over from Czechoslovakia and the USSR is still more than enough. Therefore, initially, a new armored combat vehicle was developed not so much for domestic consumption as for an attempt to enter the international arms and military equipment market.
Three Slovak companies Tatra Sipox, Konštrukta Trenčín and PPS Detva Holding were responsible for the development of the new armored vehicle. Work began already at the very beginning of the 1990s, while by 1994 the first sample of a new combat vehicle, which received the official name Tatrapan, was ready and handed over to the Slovak military. When developing a new armored vehicle, Slovak engineers did not reinvent the wheel and went along the path beaten by many countries, taking as a basis the chassis of a serial off-road truck. Fortunately, there were no problems with such a technique. The new combat vehicle was created on the basis of the Tatra 815 truck with a 6x6 wheel arrangement.
Conceptually, the Slovak Tatrapan is a modern modular armored vehicle. The closest Russian analogue to it is the Typhoon on the KamAZ chassis. Like the Typhoon K-63968, the Slovak Tatrapan is an armored vehicle of a cabover configuration with all-wheel drive and a 6x6 wheel arrangement. A feature of their new armored vehicle, Slovak engineers initially presented a modular design with a removable superstructure. In the standard version, the troop compartment is located immediately behind the cockpit. This module itself is removable, according to the developers, it can be dismantled in an hour of work.
Initially, several serial modifications were designed.
The first of them, Tatrapan T1 / Z1, is the base one and is used as an armored personnel carrier. A version of Tatrapan ZASA, adapted for use in desert conditions, has also been created.
The Tatrapan AMB version is an armored medical vehicle.
Tatrapan VP or VSRV is a mobile armored command post.
Tatrapan MOD is an upgraded version of the basic version with the installation of a German Deutz engine and an automatic gearbox. He also received a V-shaped bottom and increased protection against detonation on mines.
Technical features of the armored personnel carrier Tatrapan
The Tatrapan armored personnel carrier is the most common version of the new combat vehicle. The project is based on the chassis of a Czech-made Tatra T815 Kolos 6x6 heavy off-road truck. The truck was put into serial production in 1983. A quick glance at the truck and modular armored car is enough to understand that during the work, the front and rear of the car have changed places. The cockpit is located above the two front axles. The combat vehicle retained the standard all-wheel drive, 6x6 wheel arrangement, the front pair of axles are controlled.
The standard version of the combat vehicle received a 19-liter Tatra T3-930-55 diesel engine. This air-cooled engine is turbocharged and develops a maximum power of 369 hp. Engine power is sufficient to accelerate an armored personnel carrier with a combat weight of 22.5 tons to a speed of more than 90 km / h when driving on a highway. In this case, the engine is paired with a manual gearbox with 8 forward gears and two reverse gears. The Tatrapan MOD version has a more powerful German engine manufactured by Deutz (400 hp), paired with an automatic transmission. The cruising range on the highway reaches 1000 kilometers.
Thanks to the use of the well-proven cross-country chassis with a 6x6 wheel arrangement, the Tatrapan feels good on rough terrain and is able to develop high travel speeds when driving on roads. All models received a centralized tire inflation system. The driver can adjust the pressure level on the go from his workplace. The armored vehicle is able to calmly overcome trenches and ditches up to 1.1 meters wide, climb walls up to 0.6 meters high and wade water bodies up to 1.4 meters deep, while Tatrapan cannot swim.
The length of the combat vehicle reaches 8460 mm, width - 2500 mm, height - 2895 mm, or up to 3380 mm when installed on the roof of various weapons systems. Clearance - 390 mm. The manufacturer guarantees the possibility of operating the machine at ambient temperatures from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius.
Tatrapan is an armored vehicle of a cabover configuration. The engine is located in the front of the combat vehicle, above them there is a cockpit with the seats of the combat vehicle commander and driver, the crew can be additionally equipped with a machine gunner. Behind the cockpit is the troop compartment module, designed to carry 10 fully armed motorized riflemen; if necessary, 12 paratroopers can be accommodated inside. The paratroopers sit facing each other along the sides of the hull. The landing and disembarkation of the assault force is carried out through the ramp in the rear of the hull. Also, for disembarkation, a door in the starboard side of the hull, located between the axes of the combat vehicle, can be used. Reservation protects the crew and troops from small arms fire and small fragments of shells and mines. Provides all-round protection against 7, 62-mm armor-piercing bullets from any distance. Also Tatrapan is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction and several automatic fire extinguishing systems.
The basic version of the vehicle can be armed with 7, 62-mm or 12, 7-mm machine guns, as well as 40-mm automatic grenade launchers in various configurations. Machine guns can be placed both on turret mounts on the roof in the front and rear of the hull, and as part of remotely controlled installations. Also, the vehicle can be equipped with standard smoke grenade launchers, 4 pieces from each side.
The fate of the project
Despite the simplicity of design solutions and low cost, the modular armored car created in Slovakia did not gain much popularity in the world arms market. In total, about 50 such combat vehicles were assembled in Slovakia, some of which were purchased by Greece for Cyprus. Some more are used by the Indonesian armed forces.
The Slovak army is also in no hurry to re-equip with Tatrapan. At the same time, despite the small number, the combat vehicle actively participated in various peacekeeping missions around the world. The Slovak military used Tatrapan armored vehicles in Kosovo, Eritrea, in the buffer zone in Cyprus, in Afghanistan. Also, the Slovak miners used vehicles with increased mine protection, adapted for operations in desert terrain, on the territory of Iraq.
