Not so long ago, the Finnish defense industry showed its new development. One of the relatively young companies completed the development of a promising armored car, built a prototype and began testing it. It is reported that the new armored vehicle belongs to the MRAP class of equipment and is intended to protect the crew and troops from enemy small arms and explosive devices. In addition, it is known about the use of several solutions that are unusual for such a technique.
The project of the new armored car was developed by Protolab Oy (Espoo), founded in 2007. According to reports, the development of the project started in 2009, and by now the work has reached the stage of testing the prototype. The project of Protolab Oy was named PMPV 6x6 (Protected Multi-Purpose Vehicle). Also mentioned is an alternative designation MiSu - an abbreviation for Мiinasuojattu Мaastokuorma-auto ("Off-road vehicle with mine protection").
The lead developer of the PMPV 6x6 project was Protolab Oy. In addition, there is information about the participation in the project of some other organizations that were responsible for the development of certain components and assemblies. The project was developed according to the requirements put forward by the military departments of Finland, Sweden and some other countries. It is known that the project was financed by an unnamed third party. The work was paid for by a certain foreign company from Scandinavia, which is engaged in the export of weapons. The name of this organization has not yet been disclosed, but certain assumptions can be made.
Design work was completed this year, after which the assembly of an experienced armored car began. The construction of the first copy of the Protolab PMPV 6x6 was completed in early autumn, after which the car went for testing. Over the next few weeks, until the beginning of November, an experienced armored car covered about 800 km of ranges. In addition, the first afloat tests have already been carried out. Two additional incomplete prototypes were built. In the near future, this technique will undergo detonation tests at one of the UK test sites.
By now, the developer company has published several photos and some information about its new project. The published data does not reveal some of the details of the project, but it still allows a fairly detailed picture to be drawn.
The armored car of the MRAP Protolab PMPV 6x6 class is a protected multipurpose vehicle with a wheeled chassis. The task of this technique is to transport soldiers with weapons or cargo of appropriate dimensions. It is argued that with a dead weight of 14 tons (empty or equipped - not specified), an armored car can carry up to 10 tons of cargo.
The new armored car is built according to the bonnet layout with a single-volume manned compartment. A characteristic feature of the PMPV 6x6 is a large and protruding engine compartment, the dimensions of which are directly related to the dimensions of the engine used. At the moment, the new Finnish armored car is equipped with a 285 hp Cummins diesel engine. and an Allison six-speed automatic transmission. As part of the power plant, a specific cooling system of the original design is used, as evidenced by the absence of any radiator grilles on the surface of the engine compartment.
The chassis of the armored car is based on the units of serial commercial trucks of the Sisu brand. The machine is equipped with a 6x6 undercarriage equipped with an individual suspension. Undercarriage units are frame-mounted. Optimum distribution of machine weight to the ground is achieved by placing axles with an increased gap between the first two pairs of wheels. To improve maneuverability, the front and rear axles are steerable. In addition to the wheeled chassis, there are two water-jet propellers located in the rear of the hull.
The body of the MiSu vehicle is said to be assembled from a new brand of armor steel developed by Ruukki. The body is made in the form of a single unit, divided into several compartments and providing all-aspect protection against small arms or explosive devices. So, the engine is protected by an armored casing of the appropriate shape. In particular, the engine is protected from the impact of the shock wave in an explosion under the wheel or under the bottom of the inclined panels of the wheel arches.
Behind the engine compartment is a two-seater driver's cab. It is equipped with a large armored windshield and two side windows of complex shape. The cab has been designed with an increased level of protection in mind. For this, it has armored sides, assembled from two panels, a vertical upper and an inclined lower one. The lower parts of the sides and the bottom form a V-shaped side of the armor. To maintain the strength of the hull, side door openings are made only in the upper side plates. The photographs show that there are hatches in the roof of the cab. Due to the high vehicle height, there are two ladders under the cab doors.
In addition to the standard set of controls, the cab is equipped with a number of special equipment. So, to simplify driving and improve visibility around the perimeter of the hull, six video cameras are installed, the signal of which is displayed on a monitor in the cab. For work at night, a thermal imager is included in the equipment of the armored car.
The entire aft part of the hull is given for the placement of the troop compartment. This part of the hull has a V-shaped "mine" bottom and vertical sides. When an explosive device is detonated, the bottom of the hull must deform, absorbing some of the explosion energy and thereby reducing its effect on the crew and the landing force. It is proposed to embark and disembark through the aft door. There are several hatches in the roof. A curious feature of the troop compartment of the PMPV 6x6 vehicle is the absence of glazing and equipment for firing personal weapons. Thus, the paratroopers during the movement are located inside a closed protected volume, due to which the maximum possible level of protection is achieved.
Along the sides of the troop compartment, there are ten seats of a special design that absorb part of the energy of the detonation of an explosive device. The armchairs are equipped with the so-called. five-point belts, as well as equipped with arches of protection of the head and other equipment designed to protect fighters while driving and during emergency situations. Also, places for fighters have mounts for transporting weapons and connectors for recharging electronic equipment.
It is argued that solutions aimed at increasing the level of protection of the crew and landing forces are used not only in the design of individual units. Some ideas related to the general layout of the machine have been applied. So, the body of the armored car Protolab PMPV 6x6 not only has a reinforced "mine-proof" bottom, but is also hung on special mounts. This, to a certain extent, improves the conditions for the crew, and also reduces the transfer of explosion energy to the hull.
In the current configuration, the promising Finnish armored car is not equipped with any weapons. Nevertheless, as follows from the published data, the possibility of installing weapons is present. Probably, the MiSu armored car can carry various types of combat modules with machine-gun armament. It can be assumed that in this case, preference will be given to systems with remote control.
The new armored car has already passed part of the tests, which made it possible to determine its characteristics. The maximum speed of the car on the highway is declared at 110 km / h. When moving on water using water cannons, the armored car can accelerate to 10-12 km / h. Other mobility characteristics have not yet been published.
To date, the development company has published only the most basic information about its new project and some numbers. Therefore, in particular, the level of protection of the vehicle and some other parameters that directly affect its combat effectiveness are still unknown. Probably, the full technical characteristics of the PMPV 6x6 armored car will be published later.
At the moment, there is one prototype of the MiSu armored car, which is used in various tests at the proving ground. Two more prototypes in incomplete configuration will be sent to the UK in the near future, where the level of protection of their armored hulls will be checked. In the spring of next year, it is planned to build another experimental armored car, which will differ from the existing ones by a full set of special equipment and will in fact become a pre-production model.
Protolab Oy is already making plans for the future. If orders for such equipment appear, mass production can start in about a year, by the end of 2016. The existing production capacity will allow it to produce from 50 to 100 serial cars per year. A serial PMPV 6x6 armored car without special equipment and weapons, according to current estimates, will cost no more than 500 thousand euros. The installation of additional weapons and equipment, in turn, will lead to some rise in the cost of this technique.
The new armored car project is primarily intended for export deliveries. Nevertheless, unconfirmed data have already appeared, according to which the Finnish military department is also showing interest in a promising armored car. Thus, in the foreseeable future, several contracts may appear at once for the supply of MiSu machines for the Finnish army and the armed forces of other countries. In the case of the latter, deliveries are likely to be facilitated by an as-yet-unnamed Scandinavian defense company.
It has already been noted that the purchase of PMPV 6x6 armored cars by Finland is one of the most likely options for the development of events. The army of this state has a fairly large number of obsolete armored personnel carriers that need to be replaced. At the same time, however, buying a sufficient number of Patria AMVs is not possible for economic reasons. In this case, the MiSu armored car turns out to be a reasonable and optimal way to update the fleet of armored vehicles without unacceptable costs.
Currently, the Protolab PMPV 6x6 project is at the stage of testing the first prototype. Tests using this and other machines will continue over the next few months, after which serial production may begin. It is argued that upon receipt of the order, the serial construction of armored cars may begin at the end of next year. Thus, one of the most interesting and ambitious Finnish projects of recent times is approaching its final stage and may soon contribute to the renewal of the fleet of equipment in some countries. Nevertheless, in order to start production, Protolab Oy specialists will have to complete the fine-tuning of their new machine and gain the trust of potential customers.
