The GAZ-2330 "Tiger" is a multipurpose all-terrain armored vehicle developed at the Gorky Automobile Plant and produced at the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant).[1][2]
An order from the Emirates
The project began in 1999, commissioned by the military department of the United Arab Emirates, which allocated 60 million dollars for the development and manufacture of prototype vehicles.[1]
The first vehicles, designated Tiger HMTV, were shown in Abu Dhabi at the international arms exhibition IDEX-2001. The customer liked the vehicles, but a supply contract was never signed.[1]
A series of its own
In 2002, five "Tigers" were assembled for testing; after certification under category N2, the family received the "cargo" designation GAZ-2330. By 2005, small-batch production had been established, which later moved to Arzamas.[1] The Arzamas plant assembles four models of the "Tiger" — two civilian versions and two armored versions for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[1]
Thus the Nizhny Novgorod school of military automobile engineering, begun by the Gorky-built BA-64, found its continuation in the post-Soviet era.
Sources
- gpmar.ru — GPMAN — GAZ-2330 "Tiger" — history (archive)
- armedman.ru — Armies and Soldiers — Multipurpose armored vehicle GAZ-2330 "Tiger" (archive)