NEW VOLUME OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA

Red Star. March 14, 2008. By Anatoly Dokuchaev

Editors of the Publishing House "Arms and Technologies" pleased us with the new, sixteenth Volume of the Encyclopedia "Russia's Arms and Technologies. The XXI Century Encyclopedia" which is being published under general supervision of Anatoly Serdyukov, the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation. The Volume title, "Military Vehicles", uncovers the content. It has been prepared with the participation of competent experts of the Russian defense industry, automotive industry, and Defense Ministry.

The main facilities providing tactical mobility and maneuverability for troops are military vehicles. Publishers and authors of the 770-page Volume stress that military vehicles are not just a stock of cars. Military vehicles are being designed in accordance with tactical and technical requirements of the Russian Defense Ministry and have their own peculiar properties. Various weapon systems, as well as supplementary facilities, are mounted on or pulled by these vehicles.

When military vehicles appeared, they were used just for transportation. By now, they have developed into a basic component of the common weapon inventory of our army. At the present time, more than 95 percent of ground-based mobile weapons and military equipment are mounted on motor vehicles. The role of automotive equipment in supporting everyday activities of units and forces, such as moving personnel and equipment, subsistence delivery, support for daily duties and planned actions, — is also very important. At present, there are no units which could carry out a mission without using cars. It should be noted that, at the condition when there are no rail roads or they are destroyed, the vehicular transport is the only transportation facility. Some figures for the reader: the share of vehicular transport, which is the most common transport in Armed Forces, is as big as 75—85 percent in the communications zone, and 85 — 100 percent in the army rear service.

Now let's go directly to the military vehicles.

"The published Volume presents more than 500 models of military vehicles, and contains more than 2000 pictures, drawings and schemes", — wrote Nikolai Spassky, the editor-in-chief of the Publishing House "Arms and Technologies", — "The Russian automotive industry designed and tested new prospective models of cars (UAZ, GAZ, "Ural", and KamAZ), special wheeled chassis (BAZ and MZKT), and military tracked vehicles. These vehicles were ordered by the Defense Ministry, in compliance with technical requirements established by the Main Armor Directorate, and included in the inventory. The models are not just competitive with modern and prospective foreign analogs, but exceed them in certain parameters. And there is another direction besides the design of new models — the complete modernization of serial products, first of all dieselization. The book covers all these aspects in detail".

Military vehicles of all types and categories described in the book are divided by manufacturers. The first section covers multipurpose motor vehicles which are the most common category of military automotive equipment. The review of vehicles by Gorky Motor Vehicle Plant "GAZ" opens this section. There are described past, present and experimental models: the motor cars GAZ-24 and GAZ-31029 "Volga"; the trucks GAZ-51A, GAZ-63 and GAZ-66; the multipurpose army vehicle GAZ-66-40; the high-mobility vehicles GAZ-3937 and GAZ-39371; vehicles GAZ-2705 of the "Gazel" family; the multipurpose army vehicle GAZ-33097 which is further development of the well-known army truck GAZ-66-11; the vehicles GAZ?233036 "Tigr" and GAZ-29651 "Karatel". More than 30 models are described in the section.

Another section presents all-wheel-drive motor vehicles by Ulyanovsk Motor Vehicle Plant "UAZ" which manufactures vehicles since 1942. There are described: UAZ-469 and UAZ-469B; the short-base cross-country motor car UAZ-3150; the special all-wheel-drive vehicle UAZ-3152 "Gusar"; the mobile communications center "Barsuk" based on the UAZ-3159 chassis with a diesel engine; and other models.

The reader has a possibility to find out more about special vehicles by the company "Korporatsiya Zashchita". For example, the vehicle "Scorpion" designed for short combat actions in the enemy's rear area, escorting transport vehicles during very important moves, moving personnel during special missions. The reader can see a "Scorpion" equipped with the anti-tank missile system "Metis-M".

The book covers in detail products of the Ural Motor Vehicle Plant "UralAZ". It is one of the biggest plants of the Russian automotive industry. Founded in 1941 as part of the plant "ZIS" evacuated from Moscow, the Ural plant continues traditions manufacturing reliable military vehicles. The Volume presents tens of vehicles of the brand "Ural" — from the multipurpose army vehicle Ural-375 to the road train Ural?44202-30 designed for moving light armory and other military equipment on roads of all kinds. There are described various armament systems and military equipment mounted on "Ural" vehicles as well.

Kama Motor Vehicle Plant "KamAZ" is one of the biggest and modern plants manufacturing vehicles for our army. Multipurpose army vehicles KamAZ were designed on the basis of commercial vehicles with maximum retrieval capability, and by using existing manufacturing facilities. A set of vehicles are described, starting from ones of previous generations and ending with the "Mustang" family, as well as more than 30 models of weapons and military equipment mounted on "KamAZ" vehicles.

The publishers did not go around the military vehicles manufactured by Likhachev Plant "ZIL" founded in 1916. For several decades after the Second World War, up to 40 percent of military vehicles had the label of this Moscow plant: ZIL-151, ZIL-157, and ZIL-131. There are described both retrospective models and the models being included in the inventory at the present time.

The reader can get information about vehicles by Kremenchug Motor Vehicle Plant — the holding company "AutoKrAZ", Lutsk Motor Vehicle Plant "LuAZ" (Ukraine), and other companies.

It should be noted again that the published Volume covers not only military vehicles, but also car frames for armaments mounting, tractor-trailers, special multipurpose vehicles, and tracked carriers. There are described, for example, special wheeled chassis and wheeled tractors by Bryansk Motor Vehicle Plant, armaments based on chassis of motor vehicles by Minsk Motor Vehicle Plant and Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, and articulated vehicles by Kurgan Plant of Wheeled Tractors — Industrial Association "Rusich". Tracked carriers by Zavolzhye Plant of Tracked Tractors and tracked prime movers by Murom Diesel Locomotive Building Plant are presented as well.

Besides of that, the book contains information about trailers and semi-trailers; container bodies and multipurpose van bodies; mobile technical service, repair and evacuation facilities. The book contains specifications of engines and power units, as well as diagnostic equipment.

A separate section contains materials about companies manufacturing and repairing military vehicles and their components (more than 50 concerns and companies). These materials are illustrative of the automotive industry in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent Countries.

Military vehicles are classified according to the Common Classifier of Supply Items of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which has been developed by the Defense Ministry and is compatible with foreign classifiers by its parameters.

Editors of the Volume, which publication was sponsored by Vneshtorgbank, lead to the conclusion that Russian military vehicles meet the requirements of time and will preserve in the future their role as an integral part of our Armed Forces.

In fine, the new volume of the Encyclopedia "Russia's Arms and Technologies. The XXI Century Encyclopedia" is a whole "military automotive world" which is suggested to be perceived.