This year, KrAZ prepared several armored vehicles for participation in the anti-terrorist operation, developed jointly with the Canadian-Emirati company Streit Group.
Volunteer and racing driver Oleksiy Mochanov told about their advantages and what needs to be improved in them.
On his Facebook page, Mochanov wrote that the chassis often cannot withstand the vehicle's loads, namely, it tears off the stabilizer bar shock absorber brackets. All vehicles have oil leaking from the shock absorbers, and to engage the front axle, the driver must get out of the vehicle. In addition, there is no place for a spare wheel in the vehicle, and refueling requires fuel that meets the technical characteristics of the new generation engine, as a result, in 60% of vehicles the engine malfunction indicator lights up.
Serious problems also emerged with the vehicle's armor. Thus, the armor at the front is such that upon the first hit by a bullet or shell fragments, the vehicle fails. The armored glass cannot withstand a second shot, the gunner's protection is very weak, and during machine gun fire, shell casings fall under the hood, which can lead to engine failure. In addition, to replace the box of cartridges for the machine gun, the gunner must move out from behind cover, which increases the likelihood of him being hit.
"Vehicles with such a number of shortcomings and unfinished details cannot be accepted into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Under no circumstances, except for the mandatory elimination of shortcomings and repeated meticulous testing. Under the same conditions and with the same composition. Possibly - also in parallel units," stated Oleksiy Mochanov.
