Vietnam buys 'super' off-road vehicle for disaster rescue

Vietnam has just ordered from Russia a specialized vehicle that is extremely superior in natural disasters and emergency situations. The vehicle can travel both on land and on water.

With the special vehicle code 59037, the model that Vietnam ordered from Russia looks not much different from an armored vehicle. The vehicle has 8 wheels with independent torsion suspension of all wheels.

Vietnam buys 'super' off-road vehicle for disaster rescue

The configuration and chassis are similar to the Russian army's armored vehicle - BTR-80 (an 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier). And of course, because it is used for disaster relief purposes, there are no weapons installed inside the vehicle.

Overall, the car is slightly modified when divided into 3 distinct parts.

The front part is the cockpit with side windows.

The front part is the control cabin with side windows. The driver's front visibility is also wider than in the BTR-80.

The middle section (instead of the gun turret) is a cargo or personnel space with seats for passengers. This section can also be easily removed when needed, to transport more cargo or to be converted into a bed for the injured. This is also where the winch - an indispensable part of the recovery vehicle - is located, as well as a set of spare parts and components for vehicle maintenance.

The rear section houses the engine. Above is a cargo rack with a hinge that can be folded/unfolded. On both sides of the engine compartment are racks for shovels, axes, crowbars and rescue tools.

The vehicle can carry up to 5 tons of cargo in its own compartment and on the loading racks, or evacuate up to 25 people.

This special vehicle is worthy of being a superior means of transport in conditions of flooding, natural disasters or technical disasters.

The 260-horsepower KamAZ diesel engine is powerful enough for the 14-ton all-terrain vehicle to reach speeds of up to 80 km/h on the highway, 50 km/h on dirt roads and 9 km/h in water.

The ground clearance of up to 475 mm combined with other off-road characteristics, as well as the ability to “swim”, make this special vehicle worthy of being an incomparable superior means of transport in conditions of flooding, natural disasters or technical disasters.

According to AutoDaily