an armored vehicle with an automatic cannon and reconnaissance drones

The war between Ukraine and Russia is a major catalyst for the development of all types of weapons in the country headed by Volodymyr Zelensky, who has just announced its biggest restructuring since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Drones attract much of the attention, thanks to vehicles like the Palyanitsia, designed to attack Russian air bases, but the Ukrainian arms industry has also surprised with the Kronos submarine or anti-mine armored vehicles capable of launching rockets and missiles.

In this last line, the Ukrainian company Armor has just presented Varta 2, its new MRAP (Mine and Ambush Resistance Protected Vehicle, in the translation of its acronym in English), at the MSPO 2024 exhibition taking place these days in Kielce (Poland). With the experience gained after the development of other similar armored vehicles, whether it is the first version of the Varta such as the Novator or the Kamrat, the company has integrated new protection, mobility and firepower features into Varta 2 to adapt to current combat environments.

“The Varta 2 is a completely new machine developed based on ten years of experience of the company, the needs of the army and the conditions of modern warfare,” Vladyslav Belbas, general director of Ukrainian Armor, said in statements reported by Defence Blog. “This Designed to carry 10 crew members and equipped with the Sich remote-controlled turretwhich incorporates a 30mm automatic cannon and provides the formidable firepower needed to support infantry and destroy enemy armored vehicles.

Varta 2

This armoured vehicle, which the company calls a “mobile fortress”, weighs 14 tonnes (3.5 less than the first generation) and still has a increased protection against kinetic projectiles and land minesIts ballistic protection meets the strict NATO STANAG 3a/3b standards, ensuring the safety of the 10 crew members in most combat scenarios.

One of the major differences from its predecessor is the replacement of the chassis, originally supplied from Belarus, with a BASE 4×4 made in TürkiyeBelarus’ progressive complicity with Putin’s intentions and its collaboration on key issues of the Ukrainian invasion led Ukrainian Armor to bet on the Turkish alternative.

The Varta 2 is equipped with a 360 hp Cummins ISB 6.7 engine and an Allison 3200SP automatic transmission, with a maximum speed of 110 km/h. has a 400mm ground clearance, allowing you to traverse difficult terrainalso thanks to independent suspension and a central tire inflation system or CTIS.

Regarding weapons, the big news is the Sich remote-controlled weapon station with 30 mm automatic cannona 7.62 mm secondary machine gun and a smoke grenade launcher. This modern turret has a 360° rotation and a vertical elevation of -10° to +60°. For control, it has an integrated optical and thermal aiming system with laser rangefinder.

In addition, this new Ukrainian armored vehicle integrates the ICOMWare system for better situational awareness through a secure mesh network. As detailed Army Recognitionthe vehicle too”integrates reconnaissance drones with a range of up to 30 km“, which connect to ICOMWare and provide an additional layer of security and threat detection.

To counter enemy drones and electronic jamming, Varta 2 has the Kvertus electronic warfare system and passive radar systemsdesigned for the vehicle to detect and track targets without active emissions, increasing the chances of remaining undetected by enemy radars.

To protect its occupants from chemical or biological attacks, the Varta 2 also features secure air filtration, in addition to lightweight camouflage systems that reduce your optical and infrared visibility.

The first Varta

Ukrainian Armor presented the first demonstration model of the Varta in kyiv in late 2015. The vehicle, manufactured specifically for the special operations units of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Rapid Operational Response Unit, was well received not only in the Ukrainian Army, but has attracted the interest of countries such as Morocco.

Its bodywork 8 meters long, 2.6 wide and 3.6 high It rides on a reinforced chassis based on a 4-wheel drive truck. It has a central tire inflation system and has been tested in the most “harsh and difficult” conditions, according to the technical sheet.

Although, without a doubt, the most important factor of the Varta is the protection of its crew thanks to a steel armor made in Sweden and capable of withstanding a direct hit from incendiary ammunition 7.62 millimeters. They also feature the use of bulletproof glass of the same level as the armor that can be quickly removed and replaced if damaged.

The crew compartment’s V-shaped hull provides protection for passengers and is capable of withstanding a detonation charge equivalent to 6 kilograms of TNT explosive. To provide additional protection to the engine, Ukrainian Armor places ballistic plates around it.

The Varta 4×4 has a 6-cylinder diesel engine that generates 300 horsepower and can run even on poor quality fuel. The 17,500 kilograms it weighs reach 120 kilometers per hour on the road and is capable of travel a maximum of 600 kilometersdepending a lot on the terrain on which it travels.

The Ukrainian company has considered including a weapons system on board the armored vehicle. In particular, a firing point that includes a protective kit for the operator and a machine gun to choose from: a 7.62-millimeter or a 12.7-millimeter machine gun. The vehicle can also be chosen with a closed dome that admits two different systems of twin machine guns of 7.62 and 14.5 millimetersboth in manual and motorized operation.

The attack ability is complemented by 10 weapon positions located 5 on each side of the Varta with bulletproof glass visor and gas expulsion system. Instead of soldiers’ weapons, the Ukrainian Armor allows the installation of grenade launchers for explosive ammunition and smoke grenades.