Dozor is put through its paces
Christopher F Foss
The Ukraine is demonstrating two new armoured vehicles in the mobility demonstration at IDEX – the Dozor-B light 4x4 armoured personnel carrier (APC) and the heavier BTR-3E1 8 x 8 APC. Both have been developed by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau for the home and export market and where possible proven parts have been used in their design.
Dozor-B is being marketed as a light APC and typically has a crew of three (commander, driver and gunner) and can carry eight fully equipped troops. Armament consists of a roof-mounted 12.7mm machine gun, although other turrets and armaments can be installed.
Many of the Dozor subsystems are of western design and manufacture and it is offered with two different diesel power packs. These are an IVECO diesel developing 122hp coupled to an IVECO manual transmission or a Deutz diesel developing 190hp coupled to an Allison automatic transmission.
As it is being marketed on a worldwide basis, the Dozor-B is fitted with an air-conditioning system, heater and central tyre pressure regulation system. Development of the Dozor-B is said to be complete and production can commence when firm orders are placed.
There is also an unarmoured pick-up version called the Dozor-A, which can carry five people, with an additional six people or two tonnes of cargo, being accommodated in the rear. Although similar in appearance to the Russian BTR-80, the BTR-3E1 is a more recent design with a raised roof for greater internal volume and is powered by a locally developed UTD-20 diesel coupled to a manual transmission.
Armament consists of the Shturm combat module armed with a locally produced 30mm ZTM-1 cannon, 40mm automatic grenade launcher, 7.62mm machine gun and twin launcher for Barrier ATGW with a maximum range of 5,500m. The vehicle is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water at a speed of 8-10km/h.
The Ukraine has also recently developed the larger BTR-4 (8x8) amphibious APC, which is very similar in appearance to the
German Rheinmetall Landsysteme Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs (6x6) vehicle.
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