Against the backdrop of the rearmament of the Russian army, a number of events related to the renewal of the material part of the power structures somehow imperceptibly took place. In particular, not everyone who is interested in the topic is aware of the rather long-standing intentions of the FSB Border Service regarding the purchase of new equipment for equipping border posts. At the beginning of this year, information appeared about the start of tests of some new off-road vehicle, but then everything remained at the level of rumors. Now, in the month of October, new information has been published confirming the existence of the test program. In addition, the specific model of the tested machine became known.
Izvestia reports that the Trekol-39294 all-terrain vehicle may become a new vehicle for the border troops. The representative of the company "Trekol" I. Varentsov said that the current trips around the test site are already the second stage of testing. They involve two variants of the car at once. The first of them is a floating machine without any special devices, and the second is equipped with a water cannon. At the same time, the design differences between the two variants of the machine are minimal. Varentsov believes that the likelihood of purchasing all-terrain vehicles is very high and it remains only to complete the test program. The unnamed FSB representative generally agreed with the Trekol employee. According to him, the all-terrain vehicle meets the requirements of the border service, and is also suitable for the tasks envisaged for it. "Trekol-39294" is proposed for patrolling in those conditions where lighter vehicles like the UAZ-469 cannot pass, but there is no point in using tracked armored vehicles. First of all, these are swampy and snowy areas of the terrain.
The "Trekol-39294" all-terrain vehicle is a typical representative of this class of equipment. The three-axle all-wheel drive vehicle is equipped with tubeless tires of our own production, the Trecol-1300x600-533 model. In accordance with the main trends in the development of all-terrain vehicles, the tires of the "Trekol-39294" car have a large volume, but at the same time they are inflated to a pressure of 8-50 kPa. Thanks to this, grip with the surface increases and, as a result, cross-country ability. At the request of the customer, the "Trekol-39294" vehicle can be equipped with one of two types of engine: a gasoline ZMZ-4062.10 (130 horsepower) or a Hyundai D4BF diesel engine (83 horsepower). According to reports, the border guards intend to receive a diesel version of the all-terrain vehicle. Power is sent to the wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and a two-speed center differential. Both engines propel the vehicle with a curb weight of 2,800 kilograms to a speed of 70 km / h. For the convenience of the driver, the steering section is equipped with a hydraulic booster. Movement on water can be carried out in two ways: by rotating the wheels and using a separate outboard motor with a water jet.
A characteristic feature of the Trekol-39294 all-terrain vehicle is a lightweight insulated body made of fiberglass. There are three doors for boarding people and loading payloads: two in the front and one in the rear. Inside the car, like "general civil" cars, there are two seats for the driver and passenger. Behind them, along the sides, there are two sofas with six seats. If necessary, a small table can be installed between them, fixed on special floor fasteners. If you need to transport any cargo, the sofas unfold and form a surface for placing the load. In such a cargo compartment, up to 700 kilograms of cargo can be placed. However, the transportation of such a weight is only possible when traveling on hard ground. If, during transportation, crossing a reservoir by swimming is necessary, then the maximum payload is reduced to 400 kilograms.
Additional equipment, primarily electronics, is installed in accordance with the customer's requirements. It can be a GLONASS navigator, radio communication equipment, etc. Perhaps, on all-terrain vehicles for the border service, devices for installing small arms, for example, a machine-gun turret, will be provided. However, other improvements of a more serious nature are likely to be required. According to I. Varentsov, the currently available tires provide a low load on the ground, but at the same time, in a number of situations, they do not provide proper adhesion. Perhaps the customer will demand to equip the Trekol-39294 all-terrain vehicles with a different type of tires, devoid of this drawback.
Despite the confidence of the Trekol company in the good prospects of their car, it is still too early to discuss the final decision of the relevant FSB officials and the future prospects of the all-terrain vehicle. The end of the second stage of testing is already quite close, but so far one can only try to predict what the decision of the commission responsible for the measures will be. If it is positive, then a discussion will begin on the number of new all-terrain vehicles needed by the border troops.
