State tests of the new KamAZ-63968 armored car are planned for 2015. This vehicle was developed as part of the Typhoon program and is intended for the army, internal troops and other structures in need of modern protected equipment. The technical solutions used in the project make it possible to protect the crew of the vehicle and the soldiers being transported both from small arms bullets and from various types of explosive devices.
The creation of the KamAZ-63968 project began a long time ago. Back in October 2010, the country's leadership was shown a model of a promising armored car. In the future, the development of the project continued. By now, the production of new machines has been established, which are already being supplied to the troops. Until the fall of 2015, it is planned to conduct state tests.
The KamAZ-63968 armored car is built on the basis of the original 6x6 chassis. All the necessary units are mounted on the chassis, first of all, the cabin and the module for the transport of troops. In addition, the possibility of using a cargo body or an open platform is declared. Thus, on the basis of a single chassis, machines for various purposes were initially developed, having the maximum possible degree of unification.
The base chassis is equipped with a KamAZ 740.354-450 diesel engine with a capacity of 450 hp. with the possibility of boosting up to 550 hp. In order to increase the survivability of the machine in the event of a mine explosion, the engine and some transmission units are located in a separate protected compartment located between the cab and the cargo body. The engine transmits torque to a six-speed automatic transmission, two-stage transfer case and planetary drive axle gearboxes.
The placement of the power plant used in combination with the requirements for the protection of the crew and units affected the distribution of weight along the axles. Because of this, the second pair of wheels is significantly shifted forward. The front two axles are steerable. The machine is equipped with an independent hydropneumatic suspension with the ability to change the ground clearance.
Hybrid III dummy in the cab of the car
The KamAZ-63968 armored car was developed according to a modular scheme, which determined the layout of the units. An armored cabin is installed on the front of the chassis, behind it is the engine cover, and the middle and aft parts of the chassis are given for the installation of a module for transporting people or goods. According to available data, during the design process, some elements of the modules received a new design. So, some prototypes of the machine had a completely separated cockpit and troop compartment, while others provided for a passage for moving between modules.
The armored hull of the KAMAZ-63968 vehicle is made of metal and ceramic elements and initially corresponded to the 4th level of protection according to the STANAG 4569 standard. Protection against bullets of 14.5 mm caliber was provided. The vehicle is equipped with armored glass with a thickness of 128 mm, capable of withstanding two shots with such bullets at a distance between the points of impact of at least 300 mm. Later, it was decided to abandon such a powerful protection in order to lighten the machine. A late version of the project involves the use of NATO-standard level 3 armor, which protects against 7.62 mm armor-piercing incendiary rifle bullets.
The armored car also protects the crew from artillery shell fragments. It is known that during recent tests, a 152-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile was detonated at various distances from the prototype. The machine successfully coped with the fragments flying from a distance of 25 m. In the future, several more explosions were carried out at a shorter distance. At the same time, even at a distance of 2 m, the fragments, having damaged the ceramic elements of the reservation, could not damage the landing force, which was imitated by special mannequins.
Special hinged mats have been developed to protect the armored car from anti-tank rocket grenades. These products are proposed to be hung on the armored hull using special belts or overhead elements with textile fasteners (Velcro). Due to their design, the mats interfere with the correct formation of the cumulative jet, due to which the likelihood of hitting the machine is significantly reduced.
The KamAZ-63968 armored car is equipped with a special V-shaped "mine-action" chassis designed to divert the blast wave away from the habitable volume. During tests last year, the Typhoon armored car was tested by detonating 6 kg of TNT under the front and rear wheels, as well as under the bottom of the hull. In all cases, the vehicle was damaged, but did not allow the explosive device to harm the "crew" in the form of dummies. An important feature of the mine countermeasures used is the fact that the crew members in the front cockpit, despite the cabover layout, remain intact.
The cockpit has three places for the crew (on some prototypes - two, due to the presence of a passage to the troop compartment). All the middle and aft parts of the hull in the basic configuration are given for the placement of the module with seats for the landing. 16 seats are installed along the sides of the troop compartment, absorbing part of the explosion energy under the wheel or bottom. The sides have two bulletproof glasses, communication systems with the cockpit are provided.
Boarding and disembarking from the cockpit is carried out through two side doors. There is an additional sunroof. The landing module is equipped with a large aft ramp, which can be lowered and raised hydraulically. It takes about 8 s to lower the ramp, and 20 s to climb. If necessary, the troopers can use a swing door with mechanical locks, mounted in the ramp panel. There are hatches in the roof of the troop compartment.
At the request of the customer, the KamAZ-63968 armored car can be equipped with a combat module. The capabilities of the machine allow you to mount and use systems with machine guns of various models. It is envisaged that the Typhoon armored vehicle will be equipped with a remote-controlled combat module that allows the operator to observe and attack targets while under the protection of the hull.
To facilitate control of the vehicle, the Typhoon project provides for the use of the Hals-D1M combat information and control system (BIUS). This system collects information about the engine operating mode, the state of the track and the parameters of the car, and also controls the operation of various units. In order to ensure the maximum possible view, the KamAZ-63968 armored car is equipped with a set of video cameras, the signal from which is transmitted to the dashboard monitors.
Armored vehicles "Typhoon" in the assembly shop
The curb weight of the KamAZ-63968 armored car exceeds 18.5 tons. The total weight is at least 22.5 tons. The total length of the vehicle is 8.2 m, the width is 2.22 m, and the height is 2.93 m. On the highway, the car is capable of developing speed up to 105 km / h. The fuel range is 630 km. Thanks to two controlled axles, the turning radius does not exceed 10 m.
From 2010 to the present, KamAZ has been testing several prototypes of promising technology. Based on the results of test drives at the polygons, some shortcomings of the earlier versions of the project were corrected. In the fall of 2014, tests of the applied ballistic and mine protection began. For the first time in domestic practice, special dummies equipped with a sensor system were used to assess vehicle damage and damage to the crew. During the tests on the prototype, more than 200 shots were fired from various angles. At the same time, the loads and impact on the mechanical "testers" remained within the normal range, without threatening the health and life of the crew.
At the end of December last year, 30 Typhoon armored vehicles were handed over to the troops of the Southern Military District. This technique was built with the aim of conducting trial operation in combat units. In mid-January 2015, the Southern Military District received another two dozen new armored cars. Thus, 50 armored vehicles of the new model entered trial operation. The reason for the division of the ordered machines into two batches was some modifications that had to be carried out after the next stage of testing.
For the current January, it is planned to start state tests of the KamAZ-63968 armored car. In accordance with the current plans, by September, new machines must go through the entire test cycle, confirming the declared characteristics and compliance with customer requirements. If the machine passes the tests without any complaints, then full-scale production and delivery of serial equipment can begin as early as next year.
