Within the framework of the IDEX-2019 international forum of the defense industry held in Abu Dhabi, a giant Belarusian road train-tank carrier with a carrying capacity of up to 136 tons was shown. At an exhibition in the UAE, the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant presented a three-link model of a road train: an all-wheel drive MZKT-741351 tractor with an 8x8 wheel arrangement in conjunction with an MZKT-999421 semi-trailer and an MZKT-837211 trailer with a total length of 42 meters. This road train is designed to transport up to three units of military equipment with a total weight of up to 136 tons.
Demonstrated in Abu Dhabi at an open street display, a sample with combat vehicles on board has been successfully tested in the UAE, and before that a series of factory tests in Belarus. Currently, the Republic of Belarus is actively assembling serial models of tank transporters, which were originally created for the needs of the army of the United Arab Emirates. The delivery of special purpose vehicles for the UAE army should be completed by the end of 2019.
Road train MZKT-741351 + 999421 + 837211
It should be noted that the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (the famous MZKT) has been developing and manufacturing unique transport solutions for transporting heavy loads on public roads, as well as in difficult terrain for over 60 years. Today, the products of the Minsk enterprise are produced under the Volat trademark (Belarusian Volat - “bogatyr”). MZKT specializes in the development of equipment according to individual technical specifications of customers and can produce it both individually and in series of several hundred units. At the same time, Volat equipment is traditionally distinguished by excellent driving characteristics, which allows it to feel confident even in complete off-road conditions. The harsh climatic conditions are not an obstacle for her either. Volat cars for various purposes feel equally good in the permafrost conditions of the Far North of Russia and in the hot deserts of the Middle East.
Currently, the Minsk plant produces a large number of chassis for the needs of the Russian army, in particular for the Topol-M and Yars mobile ground-based missile systems, launchers of the Iskander operational-tactical missile system, and Bal coastal missile launchers and other types of weapons. It is not surprising that the representatives of the UAE army, when they needed heavy wheeled vehicles to transport tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other military equipment and cargo, turned to the specialists of the MZKT for help.
The giant road train, which was designed for the transportation of various military equipment on roads and off-road, outwardly makes a very strong impression. Especially for the UAE, a version of a road train with an awning was made. For operation in the conditions of the Arabian Peninsula, this is a necessity. Most of the UAE is occupied by the vast sandy Rub al-Khali desert, which is one of the largest in the world. Also Rub al-Khali belongs to one of the hottest and driest deserts. In such conditions, an awning is not only protection of equipment and crews from the scorching sun, but also additional protection from sand and sandstorms. The unique tenting system developed by MZKT specialists was used for the first time on a similar technique.
The main driving force of the road train is the MZKT-741351 all-wheel drive truck tractor with an 8x8 wheel arrangement. A six-axle semi-trailer and a six-axle trailer cling directly to the tractor, so that at the exit we see a giant with 32 wheels with a total length of 42 meters. Such a road train in one trip, without experiencing any problems, can take away two Leclerc main battle tanks weighing 56 tons each and one BMP-3 weighing up to 20 tons (one tank and BMP - on a semi-trailer, the second tank - on a trailer). The French "Leclerc" is the main tank of the Land Forces of the United Arab Emirates, in service there are 390 tanks, as well as at least 46 ARVs at its base. In turn, the Russian BMP-3 is the main BMP of the UAE Ground Forces; at least 415 such combat vehicles are in service. In addition to various tracked and wheeled military vehicles, the road train can safely transport three 20-foot cargo containers.
The MZKT-741351 truck tractor is equipped with a Caterpillar C18 six-cylinder turbo diesel engine with a working volume of 18.1 liters. This engine develops a maximum power of 597 kW (812 hp) at 2100 rpm and a torque of 3300 Nm at 1400 rpm. The American-made diesel engine is paired with the American Allison M 6620 AR automatic gearbox with electronic control (6 forward and 2 reverse gears). Through a two-speed transfer case, the torque is transmitted to central gearboxes with center differentials and then to planetary wheel gearboxes. The suspension of the tractor has the following configuration: the first and second axles are torsion-bar independent, the third and fourth axles are independent spring-balancer. The steering is equipped with a hydraulic booster, which is a vital need for a car of this class and such a mass (the steering wheel is on the left). The hydraulic booster has a main and a backup system. Also, the designers from Minsk provided an on-board information system, a tire pressure monitoring system and a central tire inflation system.
The cab of the MZKT-741351 truck tractor is four-door, frame-panel, sprung, tiltable with the possibility of booking. Execution in eight-seater version or 3 seats + berth is possible. Includes: automatic climate control, a lockable cabinet for backpacks, fittings for installing armor, brackets for attaching personal weapons. In the roof of the cab there is a swivel hatch with a mount for placing a machine gun.
In addition, the tractor received systems for automatic fire extinguishing, facilitating reversing, automatic lubrication, and there is also a socket for an external start of the power plant. The package also includes a double-drum winch with a hydraulic drive and a 100-meter cable developed by Belarusian engineers of MZKT, its maximum tractive effort is 2x250 kN. The winch is located behind the cab of the 4WD tractor. This double-drum winch can be used to load military equipment onto a hitch.
According to the press service of the MZKT, in the "tractor plus semi-trailer" version, the maximum weight of the tanker-road train is 132 800 kg, and in the "tractor plus semi-trailer plus trailer" version it reaches 210 800 kg. In the first case, the maximum speed of the road train is limited to 70 km / h, in the second case - 60 km / h. The maximum climb for the "tractor plus semi-trailer" link is 27%, for the "tractor plus semi-trailer plus trailer" link - 11%. The minimum turning radius of the semitrailer tractor is 14 meters. The capacity of the impressive 1550 liter fuel tank is enough to cover 1000 km in the “tractor plus semi-trailer” version and 800 km in the “tractor plus semi-trailer plus trailer” version. The car, like the entire road train, can be operated in a wide temperature range from -40 to +55 degrees Celsius. Aerotransportability is provided by the An-124 Ruslan, An-22, Airbus A400M and Lockheed C-5 Galaxy aircraft.
The six-axle semi-trailer MZKT-999421 used in the road train has its own curb weight of 28,000 kg, while it is designed to carry loads with a total weight of up to 76,000 kg, thus, the gross weight of the semi-trailer can reach 104,000 kg. Loading height - 1400 mm. The semi-trailer uses a hydraulic balance suspension. To increase the cross-country ability, the semitrailer can optionally be equipped with a hydraulic wheel drive. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the semi-trailer axles are controlled. Of the interesting features, we can also note the presence of a tire puncture warning device, which is also on the trailer.
The six-axle trailer MZKT-837211 with its own curb weight of 18,000 kg provides a lifting capacity of 60,000 kg. The suspension of the two front axles is spring-balanced, the rear axles are hydro-balanced. Rear-view cameras and parking sensors can be installed on the trailer as special equipment. Both the semi-trailer and the trailer are equipped with a sliding loading platform with a width of 3650 mm (with extenders 4650 mm). A special solution allows wheeled and tracked vehicles to enter the semi-trailer through the trailer without disconnecting the coupling, which allows the crew to spend less time and effort on loading military equipment. The semi-trailer, as well as the trailer, have the same tires of dimension 525 / 65R20.5. The truck is equipped with tires of dimension 18.00R25 with off-road tread.
