At the last exhibition of arms and military equipment "Interpolitech-2014", domestic and foreign organizations presented a number of new developments. A prototype of the Patrol armored car was shown at one of the stands of the event. This machine, created on the basis of units of existing equipment, is intended for various departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in need of vehicles that provide protection for the crew and transported goods.
The basis of the new armored vehicle is the KamAZ-43501 chassis, a representative of the Mustang family of vehicles. In the variant, which is the base for the Patrol armored car, this chassis with a 4x4 wheel arrangement should receive a Cummins ISB6, 7-250 diesel engine with a capacity of 261 hp. The engine is linked to the ZF9S1310 9-speed gearbox. The all-wheel drive chassis has a dependent suspension based on semi-elliptical leaf springs.
One of the main goals of the development of the KamAZ-43501 project was the creation of a truck with reduced dimensions. So, in comparison with the basic KamAZ-4350, the updated car has a smaller wheelbase (3670 mm) and a lower floor of the cargo platform. This feature made it possible to use the KamAZ-43501 chassis as the basis for an armored car, since the specificity of the use of such equipment imposes certain restrictions on its appearance.
A new armored hood-type body is installed on the base chassis. The body of the "Patrol" vehicle is proposed to be welded from sheets of A3 grade armor steel. The basic protection of the case is declared at the level of 5 class according to domestic standards. Thus, the crew and units of the vehicle are protected from 7, 62-mm bullets of rifles and machine guns (without an armor-piercing core). The hull is divided into two parts: the hood, which protects the engine, and the cockpit with the driver's workplace and the cargo-passenger compartment.
The engine cover with a hinged cover protects the power plant from shelling from the side and from above. There are windows for engine cooling in the front wall of the hood. There are louvers on the sides of the hood for hot air exhaust. The frontal part of the car is equipped with a developed bumper of a characteristic design. There is a set of lighting equipment.
Places for the crew and cargo are located in an armored hull. 10 seats, including the driver's and commander's seats, are in the total volume, protected by armor. The driver and commander are located in front of the armored hull. The driver has a set of controls for various machine systems. The existing photographs of the first armored car "Patrol" show the not quite neat finish of the dashboard and nearby units. Nevertheless, this can be attributed to the peculiarities of the construction and improvement of prototypes of any technique.
The "Patrol" armored car must carry up to eight soldiers with weapons and equipment. To accommodate them in the middle and aft parts of the armored hull, chairs of a fairly simple design are installed: metal frames with textile backs and seats. If necessary, the chairs can be folded down and take up less space. This design of the seats allows you to transport not only people, but also relatively large loads.
For boarding and leaving, the Patrol car is equipped with a set of doors and hatches. The driver and commander have their own doors in the sides. On the starboard side, behind the commander's door, there is another door that the paratroopers can use. A door is provided in the rear hull sheet. In addition, there are six hatches in the roof: two above the driver's and commander's seats, and four above the troop compartment.
Like other armored cars, built on the basis of trucks, "Patrol" has a fairly high cabin. For the convenience of landing through the aft door, steps and a tubular bumper are provided, which can also be used for lifting into the cab. On the sides of the hull, between the wheel arches, boxes are provided that cover the fuel tanks. On their side surfaces there are steps for climbing into the cab when landing through the side doors.
Overview and observation of the road or the surrounding environment is provided using a set of windows equipped with bulletproof glass. The driver and commander have a large windshield and trapezoidal glass doors. In the sides of the troop compartment there are six (three per side) square windows with embrasures equipped with armored dampers. With the help of these windows, the landing force can observe the situation and, if necessary, fire from personal weapons.
For operation in winter conditions, the Patrol armored car is equipped with a Planar air heater. This device is connected to the electrical system of the base vehicle and, using diesel fuel, heats the cab. The heater is mounted on a special metal support between the starboard doors.
The armored hull, corresponding to the 5th class of protection, turned out to be heavy. For this reason, the total mass of the Patrol armored car reaches 12, 7 tons. The 261-horsepower engine proposed for use should provide a maximum highway speed of up to 100 km / h.
The future of the Patrol project is still unknown. The new armored car is offered for arming the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, primarily the internal troops. The specificity of the work of this structure is such that many of its divisions need vehicles with high protection characteristics and appropriate mobility. Apparently, the car has not yet been tested and therefore its further fate is unknown. Nevertheless, in its current form or after certain modifications, the Patrol armored car may become the subject of an order from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
