GAZ-3937 Vodnik ("Waterman") is a Russian multipurpose military all-terrain vehicle with a displacement hull, developed by designers at the GAZ OKB (Special Design Bureau) and mass-produced at the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant. It was adopted into service in the 2000s; by the end of 2007, about 250 combat vehicles had been built.[1][2]
History of development
Work on the Vodnik project began on assignment from the USSR Ministry of Defense, which in the late 1980s issued tactical and technical requirements for a vehicle intended to replace wheeled armored reconnaissance and sabotage vehicles.[2] Two initial prototypes passed driving tests, but the project was frozen. In 1994 the vehicle was shown to the general public for the first time — at the Rescue Equipment-94 exhibition in Moscow at the VVTs (All-Russia Exhibition Center), still in a civilian version under the designation GAZ-3907.[1][2] The technical documentation for the vehicle was not approved until 1998.[2] Several Vodniks took part in combat operations in Chechnya.[2] According to various sources, the vehicle was adopted into service in 2005[1] or in 2007.[2]
Design
The Vodnik is built on a modular design: its load-bearing welded hull consists of two detachable modules that can be replaced in the field.[1][2] The front module is divided by a sealed bulkhead into a control compartment and a power compartment. In the base GAZ-3937 version, the cab seats two — the driver and the commander; the crew enters and exits through hatches in the roof.[2] The engine is an in-line six-cylinder, air-cooled turbocharged diesel, the GAZ-5423 "six," with a displacement of 6.23 L and an output of 175 hp, mounted on the right in the front section.[3] The rear module is intended for carrying personnel or cargo, or for mounting special equipment.[2]
The running gear is an independent torsion-bar suspension on wishbones with hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers; a central tire inflation system and a smooth underbody are provided.[1] Ground clearance is 475 mm.[3] The displacement hull allows the vehicle to cross water obstacles: it moves through the water by the rotation of its wheels at speeds of up to 4–5 km/h.[3][1] On land, at a full weight of 6.4 t, the vehicle can accelerate to 112–120 km/h.[3][1] Its length is 4.7 m, its wheelbase is 3 m, and its turning radius is 10.5 m.[3] The power take-off gearbox allows a water-jet propulsor, a cable winch, and other attachments to be connected.[3]
Modifications
On the basis of the GAZ-3937, the GAZ-39371 model is produced with an armored body, a modified cab, and a machine-gun turret.[3] In the GAZ-39371 variant, the cab seats three: the radio operator's seat, with a separate hatch, is located behind the driver, while the commander sits next to the driver and has a side door.[2] In addition, there is a sports version with its own designation, the GAZ-3937 "Dragoon".[1]
Arzamas Plant
Serial production of the "Vodnik" was concentrated at the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant (AMZ), a Nizhny Novgorod enterprise specializing in the production of special-purpose vehicles based on designs by the design bureau of GAZ.[1] By the end of 2007, the plant had built about 250 combat vehicles; the Russian Ministry of Defense put another 50 units into long-term storage.[1][2]
External links
- Wikidata (Q193519 — an entry in the free knowledge base)
Sources
- raremodels.narod.ru
- hochyvseznat.ru — GAZ-3937 "Vodnik": specifications and photos. GAZ-39371 "Vodnik"
- armor-avto.narod.ru — Army Vehicles — AMZ GAZ-3937 "Vodnik"