Behind the Ukrainian Forces’ march towards redeeming its country’s glory are armored mobility vehicles that carry the brave souls of the embattled country. An infantry mobility vehicle (IMV) is a motorized armored personnel carrier (APC) functioning as a combat surveillance, espionage, or protection vehicle.
IMVs typically have an undercarriage shaped like a letter V and have additional personnel security capabilities, such as four-point seat belts and seats suspended from the top or sides of the vehicle. In addition, the Military Wiki indicated that instead of having a crew member serve the weapon, most of them have a remote weapon system that makes them more advanced and safer from opposing attacks.
Here’s what you need to know about the top five mobility vehicles used by Ukrainian Ground Forces:
Varta
In December 2018, the Ukrainian Armed Forces acquired the armored personnel carrier (APC) vehicles manufactured by Varta.
The VARTA is a type of armored personnel carrier developed in Ukraine. The crew within the vehicle is protected from armor-piercing incendiary ammunition of up to 7.62 millimeters, thanks to the quality of steel used in the construction of the vehicle compartment. The anti-mine seats are housed within the V-shaped hull structure of the VARTA, too. This provides the crew with the protection necessary to resist the explosion of charges weighing up to 6 kilograms of TNT. A fighting module available for the VARTA can be outfitted with either a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun. To add, the ringed perimeter of the vehicle is equipped with ten-gun ports, each of which has the potential to house a UBGL (Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher).
CORD Ukrainian Special Police Varta APC. (Source: U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
FV103 Spartan
The British Army in the 1960s commissioned the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) platform, which served as the basis for developing several light-tracked vehicles, including the FV103 Spartan. Because of their function as reconnaissance and infantry support vehicles, machines in this class, which production started in 1970, are characterized by their incredibly diminutive size and stealthy profile. This is because of their design. Some iterations of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) are even shorter than the most recent iteration of the Toyota Land Cruiser. They are only slightly taller and broader than that model even though they are military vehicles belonging to the category “tracked vehicles.”
A Jaguar J60 engine with 4.2 liters of displacement can be found in the armored personnel carrier. The APC has a range of 510 kilometers when it is operational. The top speed of the FV103 Spartan is 96 kilometers per hour. Transporting anti-aircraft and missile units together with other specialist teams is the primary function of the APC. It can transport up to seven people, including three special operations team troop members.
Novator
Kozak-5 armored vehicle (Ukraine). (Source: VoidWanderer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
When it comes to maneuverability, the 6.5-ton Novator is capable of running well on paved roads as well as open ground. Because of its unidentified diesel engine that produces 300 horsepower, it can reach a decent top speed of 120 kilometers per hour. Moreover, it can travel the countryside and even do reconnaissance thanks to its independent suspension system and run-flat tires, according to a report from the 21st Century Asian Arms Race.
The Varta Novator dimensions are 19.02 feet (5.80 meters) in length, 7.89 feet (2.405 meters) in width, and 7.10 feet (2.164 meters) in height. It has a maximum payload capacity of 1000 kilograms and a gross weight of 9000 kilograms. The vehicle’s engine is a 6.7-liter turbo diesel that produces 300 horsepower. On the open road, the Varta Novator can reach a top speed of up to about 87 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour). This has a maximum cruising range of 434.96 miles (700 kilometers).
Roshel Senator
As an armored personnel carrier (APC), the Roshel Senator has glass resistance to up to 50-caliber bullets. It also has a blast-resistant floor. When it comes to striking back, the Senator provides a variety of gun openings, escape exits, and a massive turret up top that Roshel says can be fitted with “mission-specific equipment and modifications.”
In a nutshell, it’s a self-contained air conditioning and filtration system, which means that regardless of what’s going on outside, the 10–12 people inside may physically relax and take a deep breath.
AMZ Dzik
The AMZ Dzik utilizes a strengthened version of the SCM S55/62 chassis. A holder for a machine gun is included in the design. Moreso, the truck is equipped with bulletproof headgear to protect the crew. They are attached to the sides of the tailgate on both sides. In 2004, Poland officially started using the AMZ Dzik. This particular armored personnel carrier serves as the model for a variety of vehicles, according to a report.