In 2014, the rearmament of the army and power structures will continue. So, in accordance with the existing agreements, this year the Interior Ministry troops will receive the first batch of new armored vehicles. Eight vehicles of the Ural-VV model will be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and after that they will be sent to the appropriate divisions.
The new model of the armored car was developed by order of the command of the internal troops, which is reflected in the letters "BB" present in the title. According to reports, the customer independently developed technical requirements for a promising armored vehicle. They take into account the experience of using armored and unprotected equipment in recent conflicts, the peculiarities of the work of internal troops, etc. In the course of analyzing the capabilities of the industry and the realities of combat work, the Ministry of Internal Affairs specialists excluded some points from the requirements for the new armored vehicle, and also added new ones.
Among other requirements for the Ural-VV vehicle, two are of greatest interest, related to the layout of the armored hull. Internal troops wished to receive equipment with a single armored corps. In accordance with the terms of reference, the driver's cabin and the troop compartment must be a single volume. The second notable requirement is the presence of a large number of hatches. To reduce the time required to leave the car, the customer required to equip it with a large number of doors and hatches.
The development of an armored car of a new model was entrusted to the Ural automobile plant (Miass) and the Moscow Research Institute of Steel. The first company was responsible for the creation of the chassis and the corresponding units, the second - for the armored hull. For the first time, the Ural-VV armored car was shown in September last year, at the Russian Arms Expo-2013 exhibition in Nizhny Tagil. Demonstration of the first instance and the publication of some data about it make it possible to form an opinion about a promising armored vehicle.
As the basis for the Ural-VV armored vehicle, the Ural-4320 truck was chosen, which is in serial production and has established itself as a good vehicle in its class. The four-wheel drive three-axle chassis is equipped with a YaMZ-536 diesel engine with a capacity of about 310 hp. A similar engine and chassis is said to provide high performance both on the highway and in rough terrain.
The armored body of the Ural-VV vehicle is assembled from metal sheets of various thicknesses and is able to protect the crew from bullets and shrapnel, as well as from mines and improvised explosive devices. The frontal parts of the hull and glass provide protection at the level of 6 class according to domestic standards, the sides - 5 class. The engine compartment has its own armored casing providing class 3 protection. The protection of the crew from the explosion of two kilograms of TNT is declared. An interesting feature of the new armored car is the additional anti-splinter protection of the engine and gearbox, placed under them. The experience of operating equipment of various classes has shown the need for the use of such parts.
The car has several doors for getting in and out. Two are located in front of the habitable volume, one on the starboard side, and in the stern sheet there is a wide double door. For convenience, the rear doors are equipped with a folding ladder with a pneumatic cylinder. If necessary, it can be lowered manually. The large cargo-and-passenger compartment allows the Ural-VV armored car to carry up to 17 people, including the driver (according to other sources, there are only 13 seats). The fighters are placed on seats installed along the sides. According to some reports, the armored car on display in Nizhny Tagil did not have seats that absorb part of the energy of the mine explosion. Perhaps, in the future, the armored car will receive similar equipment.
When developing a new armored car, not only the requirements regarding performance or the level of protection were taken into account. To create comfortable conditions, the habitable volume of the Ural-VV vehicle is equipped with an air conditioning system, a heater and a number of other equipment that affects the convenience of being in an armored car. It should be noted that these devices are declared as standard.
The Ural-VV armored car does not have its own armament, however, if necessary, the crew can fire from their personal weapons through the loopholes. All glasses have one such device. Acceptable firing angles seem to allow attacking targets in any direction.
Until the end of this 2014, the internal troops will receive eight Ural-VV armored vehicles. It is expected that the new equipment will go to some parts, where it will partially replace the unprotected trucks and armored personnel carriers there. The armored vehicles ordered by the Ministry of the Interior have an interesting legal feature that will facilitate their operation. Unlike armored personnel carriers and other equipment of several classes, Ural-VV armored cars or similar vehicles are full-fledged road users and therefore can independently and without any accompaniment move along the roads, which can significantly speed up the transfer of personnel.
