The recent international military-technical forum "Army-2016" has become a platform for demonstrating various new developments in the field of weapons and equipment. Most of the exhibition pavilions and open areas of the forum were occupied by expositions of Russian companies and organizations, but some of the exhibits were brought from abroad. Thus, the Belarusian company "Minotor-Service" this time showed two of its latest developments. On the open site were presented multi-purpose tracked chassis "Breeze" and "Moskit".
The Minsk enterprise "Minotor-Service" has been engaged in maintenance and updating of various military equipment since the beginning of the nineties. Over time, the company's specialists began to develop their own projects for various equipment. To date, several variants of tracked combat and auxiliary vehicles have been presented. The Army-2016 exhibition has become a platform for showing new products. Using the existing experience and some new ideas, engineers from the Republic of Belarus have recently created two versions of universal chassis with different characteristics.
Chassis "Breeze"
The goal of the project with the code "Breeze" was to create a promising tracked chassis suitable for use as the basis for various military equipment, primarily for special purposes. On the basis of "Briz" it is proposed to build vehicles with various electronic equipment, such as radar or electronic warfare stations, air defense reconnaissance vehicles, command and staff equipment, sanitary, repair, etc. samples. In line with these requirements for the widest possible application, the new chassis has received a number of design features.
Exhibition sample of the car "Breeze". Photo Invasion-odessa.livejournal.com
Using the existing experience, Minotor-Service has formed the general appearance of two new chassis. It is noteworthy that, with the exception of some important features, the Breeze and Mosquito armored vehicles have significant similarities. The differences are related to some features of the hull, power plant and chassis. Because of this, the appearance of the two samples is very similar, although some of its features make it possible to immediately distinguish a promising technique.
There is reason to believe that not only existing ideas were used in the new project, but also units borrowed from some previous projects. So, a few years ago, Belarusian engineers proposed the Moskit multipurpose chassis, which was a development of the already existing 3T platform. The design of the undercarriage and the general layout of the hull make it possible to talk about the continuity of old and new projects of the Minotor-Service company.
The Breeze chassis has an armored body that protects the crew and payload from small arms bullets and artillery shell fragments. The exact indicators of the reservation, such as the thickness of the sheets or the caliber of the held bullet, are not indicated. Probably provides all-round protection against rifle-caliber weapons. Measures to reduce the damage from explosive devices did not appear to have been taken, as evidenced by the shape of the lower part of the hull.
The body of the vehicle "Breeze" received a frontal part of a characteristic shape, formed by several large armor plates. The upper forehead assembly consists of three sheets at an angle to the vertical. In this case, narrow zygomatic sheets are mounted with an outward inclination. The lower part of the forehead also contains three sheets, but is placed at a lower angle to the vertical. The hull received vertical sides and a stern sheet. The roof of the presented sample consists of two parts. The front one is a horizontal sheet, and in the stern there is a small superstructure with a straight central sheet and heaped side ones.
The hull layout is standard for modern special-purpose armored vehicles. The front part of the booked volume is given for the placement of the engine and transmission. Some of the transmission units are also placed in the stern and connected to the main power unit using appropriate means located above the bottom. The habitable volume is located behind the engine compartment. In front of it are the crew's workplaces. Other volumes of the body are given for the placement of the payload in the form of various radio-electronic or other special equipment, as well as workstations of the crew serving it.
It is proposed to equip the "Breeze" chassis with a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine developing up to 300 hp. at 2600 rpm. Two transmission options are proposed. The first one implies the use of an automatic hydromechanical gearbox with six forward and one reverse gears, the second - mechanical gearbox with 8 forward speeds and 2 reverse gears. Regardless of the type of gearbox, the transmission must include a two-line stepless swing mechanism with a hydrostatic drive in an additional branch. A large hatch is provided for servicing the power plant in the frontal sheet of the hull. Intakes for supplying air to the power plant are located on the zygomatic sheets and sides of the forehead of the hull.
The chassis of the armored vehicle includes seven pairs of road wheels with an individual torsion bar suspension, reinforced with additional shock absorbers. To properly distribute the weight of the machine to the chassis units, increased gaps are used between the first three pairs of rollers. Pairs from the third to the seventh are located relatively tightly and close to each other. In the front of the hull there are guide wheels, the leading ones are in the stern. Several support rollers are used. The metal track "Briza" is built on the basis of a parallel rubber-metal hinge. The upper branch of the caterpillar and some other units are covered with rubber side screens. For greater comfort for the crew, there is a reinforced opening at the front of the screen, which is used as a footrest.
The own crew of the universal chassis of the Belarusian design consists of two people. The driver and commander should be located in front of the crew compartment at their workplaces. For access to their seats, the crew is encouraged to use the roof hatches. Observation of the road and the surrounding environment can only be carried out with the help of periscopic viewing devices. Each workplace is equipped with three such devices, located next to the hatch. The driver is also encouraged to use the rear-view mirrors. They are hinged and fixed in working position with special locks. If necessary, the mirrors can be rotated in the direction of the central part of the body and stacked on it.
On the outer surfaces of the machine body, fasteners are provided for the transportation of various property and equipment. It is proposed to mount locks and hooks for transporting towing cables in the front and central parts of the sides. There is also a set of fasteners for the entrenching tool. Depending on the configuration of the chassis and the tasks of the special machine built on its basis, other necessary devices and units can be mounted on the outer surface of the body.
The length of the Breeze chassis is 6.515 m, the width is 2.4 m, the height excluding special equipment is 2.45 m. The ground clearance is 390 mm. The total mass of the machine must reach 15 tons. The specific power can exceed 20 hp. per ton of weight. The ability to move along the highway at a speed of up to 70 km / h is declared. With 280 liters of fuel on board, the chassis is capable of traveling up to 400 km. The chassis allows you to climb a wall with a height of 0.5 m and cross a ditch with a width of 1.6 m. The maximum ascent angle is 35 °, roll - up to 25 °. A sealed body is used, so that the machine can swim over water obstacles. By rewinding the tracks, the speed reaches 3-5 km / h.
"Breeze" at the training ground. Photo Rusarmyexpo.ru/
The Breeze project involves the use of a tracked chassis with an armored hull as the basis for specialized vehicles. For the installation of this or that equipment, it is proposed to use the internal volumes of the case. Also, some of the units can be installed on the outer surface of the machine. Inside the armored hull, a compartment with a length of 2, 51 m, a width of 2, 375 m and a height of 1.515 m is given to accommodate the equipment. The dimensions of external devices are actually limited only by the dimensions and carrying capacity of the chassis.
According to the developer, the universal chassis "Breeze" can be used in the construction of self-propelled radar stations, electronic warfare machines, air defense reconnaissance systems, command-staff or ambulances, as well as technical assistance complexes. The characteristics of the promising model are similar to the parameters of the common MT-LBu chassis, which makes it possible to use it as an equivalent replacement for older types of equipment. At the same time, as expected, there may be some advantage in driving and other characteristics.
Some modifications of equipment based on the "Breeze" may require a change in the composition of the power units. Modern radio-electronic equipment can have a rather high power consumption, which is why it needs additional funds as part of the carrier's electrical systems. To solve such problems, the new chassis can be equipped with an autonomous diesel generator set with a capacity of up to 18.7 kW.
During the recent military-technical salon "Army-2016" the company "Minotor-Service" showed a prototype of a promising universal chassis. To demonstrate the capabilities of the new machine, the exhibition sample received some additional equipment. A telescopic antenna-mast device was installed on the stern of the vehicle, which can be used as part of any complex of radio-electronic means. In a different configuration, the chassis can receive any other equipment, including antenna systems.
Chassis "Mosquito"
At the Salon "Army-2016" the universal chassis "Mosquito" was also demonstrated. Despite the general name, the shown machine is seriously different from the previously presented samples of the same name. So, in the course of the development of previous projects of promising armored vehicles, the development company changed the design of the hull and finalized some other design features. There is reason to believe that the purpose of all these changes was to ensure maximum unification of several new types of armored vehicles. This assumption is supported by the design of the hull and some other features of the Breeze and Mosquito projects.
"Mosquito" at the exhibition. Photo Missiles2go.ru
Chassis "Mosquito" looks and design similar to the armored vehicle "Breeze", but has some differences. First of all, it is necessary to note the smaller dimensions and gross weight. Due to the difference in these characteristics, the customer gets the opportunity to purchase a universal chassis that best meets the existing technical requirements. Both chassis can be used as the basis for specialized samples of military equipment. In addition, the "Mosquito" can be a base for combat vehicles with one or another weapon of various classes and types.
The design and layout of the Mosquito hull is similar to the Breeze described above. A similar body with a faceted frontal part and an engine compartment hatch in the upper center sheet is used. The only serious difference between the frontal unit is the wave-reflecting shield, which in the transport position lies on the upper frontal plate. The location of the lighting equipment and air intake grilles remains unchanged. The habitable compartment, located in the central and aft parts of the hull, is given over to the crew and special equipment. As in the case of the Breeze, the Mosquito is equipped with a stern roof superstructure, which increases the volume for equipment.
Information about the power plant of the lighter chassis is not yet available. It is possible to use unified units that simplify the production of equipment. In addition, the use of two transmission options based on different types of gearboxes cannot be ruled out. The undercarriage of the two new samples is also unified. The only significant difference between tracked propellers is the number of road wheels: on the Mosquito there are six of them on each side. The increased gaps between the front pairs of rollers are preserved. It is noteworthy that the rubber side skirts of the light chassis consist of four sections, while the Breeze uses a structure of five.
The universal chassis "Mosquito" differs from another recently presented sample in smaller dimensions, which is due to the reduced length of the hull. This is also related to the reduced number of road wheels. The Mosquito's length is 5, 98 m, width - 2, 4 m, height - 2, 15 m. The ground clearance corresponds to the parameters of another car - 390 mm. The total mass of the armored vehicle is declared at the level of 12.4 tons. According to the developer, the chassis will be able to reach speeds of up to 70 km / h on the highway. 280-liter fuel tanks are capable of providing a cruising range of 400 km. It is proposed to overcome water obstacles by swimming. By rewinding the tracks, a speed of no more than 5 km / h is provided.
An interesting difference between the Mosquito chassis and the larger and heavier Breeze, reflected in the information materials for the two projects, is the possibility of using it as a basis for combat vehicles. On its base can be built vehicles for fire support, tactical reconnaissance, patrolling, air defense systems or carriers of anti-tank missiles. It is interesting that the previous samples of equipment from "Minotor-Service", called "Mosquito", also had the ability to install weapons and use in various roles. Thanks to this, a potential customer is able to choose a suitable role for a promising technology from a large number of proposed options.
Anti-tank missile system based on the Mosquito chassis. Photo Rusarmyexpo.ru
As confirmation of the capabilities of the promising chassis, photographic materials have already been demonstrated showing special equipment based on it. So, a snapshot of a self-propelled anti-tank complex has already been published. In this modification, the Mosquito chassis receives a lifting launcher in the rear of the hull. With the help of built-in drives, it is proposed to lift the installation together with the roof section, after which the system operator can find and attack the target using guided missile weapons.
Statements about the possibility of turning the Mosquito into a combat vehicle of one type or another in the future may lead to the use of various combat modules with machine-gun, cannon or rocket armament. It is likely that the specific composition of such equipment will be determined in accordance with the customer's requirements.
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To date, the Belarusian company Minotor-Service has developed several projects of promising tracked vehicles suitable for various purposes. There are projects for the modernization of relatively old models, and in addition, new types of equipment are proposed. Among other things, over the past several years, Belarusian specialists have been creating universal chassis. Some variants of such equipment have already been presented, including those retrofitted with equipment for solving specific problems. Now the list of similar developments has been replenished with two new projects.
The universal chassis Breeze and Mosquito presented at the recent Army-2016 forum are of certain interest. This technique is offered as the basis for various special vehicles needed by various units of different types of troops. The advantage of this technique can be considered characteristics at the level of existing samples of old models. As a result, it becomes possible to replace the existing equipment with new analogues with similar parameters.
Some shortcomings of the new projects should also be noted. Unified armored hulls of promising vehicles have bulletproof protection, which may be insufficient for solving some problems. In particular, this can seriously limit the potential of the vehicle in a direct collision with the enemy. In addition, the lack of mine protection used in all modern armored vehicles projects can be considered a disadvantage. Such security problems can severely limit the application of technology, preventing it from being used at the forefront.
A few weeks ago, the chassis "Breeze" and "Mosquito" were first shown to a wide range of specialists, the military and the public. For obvious reasons, the commercial prospects of this technique may still be a matter of controversy. The real results of the recent demonstration will become known later, when the first contracts for the supply of serial equipment with one or another special equipment should appear. Nevertheless, it is still impossible to exclude another development of the event, in which two interesting samples will remain exhibition exhibits without real practical prospects. Some of the previous developments of the Minotor-Service company reached serial production and adoption, while others still have not interested the customer. What will be the fate of the chassis "Breeze" and "Mosquito" - it will be known later.
