FTA-5901 "Viking". Special purpose armored car
FSB special forces and armored car "Viking" in the Kherson region. Frame from RIA report News
The main tasks of demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine are currently being solved by various structures of the Russian army. At the same time, some of the activities of various kinds are carried out by other law enforcement agencies. They are equipped with all the necessary weapons and equipment that meet their special requirements. For example, the other day, the work of one of the special forces was shown using an interesting piece of equipment - the FTA-5901 Viking raid armored car.
In search of weapons
On the night of April 21, RIA Novosti reported that on the eve of one of the power units conducted a raid in the village of Kazachy Camps (Kherson region) to search for saboteurs. In one of the empty houses, the soldiers found a cache with a large amount of infantry weapons and ammunition. Found submachine guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, etc. allowed to arm an infantry platoon.
The message was accompanied by a short video showing the work of the special forces and the search for dangerous objects. The video begins with a group of fighters moving along the street of the village. Behind the group, covering it, a brutal-looking black armored car is slowly moving. Two machine gunners monitor the environment through hatches in the roof and are ready to respond to threats.
Despite the poor quality of the video, the car can be identified. This is the so-called. raid armored vehicle FTA-5901 "Viking", developed by order of the Federal Security Service and put into service several years ago. Accordingly, the search for threats was carried out by one of the divisions of the FSB Special Purpose Center.
It can be assumed that the "Vikings" are used not only in the Kherson region. In the territories taken under control, there is still a lot of work for the TsSN FSB and other law enforcement agencies. And to perform such tasks, the security forces must use all available models of equipment and weapons.
Special armored car
According to known data, the prospective raid armored car FTA-5901 was developed in the middle of the last decade by the Moscow company Fort-Technology. The customer was several federal state government institutions, hiding under the numbers. As it became known later, the project was actually created for the special forces of the FSB.
Machine gunners are monitoring the situation. Frame from RIA Novosti report
In 2016, during one of the exhibitions, the country's leadership was shown the latest developments in equipment for the FSB. Among other samples, for the first time at an open event, the finished Viking was demonstrated. Later, in mid-2017, the development company received a vehicle type approval certificate, which allowed the production and operation of an armored car to be launched.
In the future, the FTA-5901 vehicles repeatedly fell into various reports on the activities of special forces. TsSN used them in the North Caucasus and probably in other regions. Now it became known that the raid armored cars got into Ukrainian territory and are now helping the security forces in various activities.
Not so long ago, a similar Cheetah armored car entered service with the Special Operations Forces. It is built on the same chassis and in a similar way. It is curious that the "Cheetahs" have already been demonstrated at public events, but the bulk of information about them remains closed.
On a ready basis
FTA-5901 "Viking" is a two-axle armored vehicle for operational and combat activities. It can transport personnel and ensure their work, conduct raids along specified routes, perform patrols, escort other vehicles, etc. In all cases, the Viking can protect the crew and troops, as well as provide fire support.
The chassis of the KamAZ-5901 Extreme sports truck used by the KamAZ-Master racing team was used as the basis for the FTA-4911. This is a frame two-axle chassis of a front-engine cabover layout with all-wheel drive. When rebuilding the Viking, the Extreme car underwent some changes aimed at increasing certain characteristics and meeting customer requirements.
According to the approval certificate, the FTA-5901 is equipped with a TMZ 7E846.22 turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 884 hp. The transmission includes a 16S251 manual gearbox and a VG 2000/300 transfer case from the German company ZF. The undercarriage includes two axles with spring suspension, four dual hydraulic shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar on each.
"Viking" at the assembly stage, 2017. Photo by Sdelanounas.ru
Instead of a standard single-row cab, a double-row cab with armor is mounted on the chassis. It is assembled from metal parts and equipped with armored glass; a new grille is provided. Behind the cab is an armored van with places for landing, and the design of this compartment varies on different vehicles. The level of protection is unknown. Apparently, the car can withstand small arms bullets weapons and splinters.
On the roof of the cab and the van there are two hatches with armored covers, on which there are machine-gun installations. In well-known operations, the Vikings were armed with a pair of PKM machine guns. There are no loopholes in the hull, which does not allow the crew to use personal weapons.
Depending on the configuration, the FTA-5901 armored car has a length of up to 8,35 m. Width - 2,55 m, height - 3,5 m. Curb weight is determined at 18,6-19,6 tons, gross weight - 22,24 tons Accordingly, the carrying capacity can exceed 2,5-3 tons. An all-wheel drive vehicle develops high speed on the highway, and shows high cross-country ability on the off-road.
It is curious that the Viking does not comply with the requirements of the Customs Union regulation "On the safety of wheeled vehicles". In this regard, to move on public roads, the machine needs to obtain a special permit.
For special tasks
TsSN FSB solves special problems, and often its units require armored vehicles. At the same time, the specifics of the work of the Center imposes certain requirements and imposes certain restrictions, which affects the appearance of the ordered cars and the composition of the fleet. As an example of this approach, we can recall the Falcatus armored car, which at one time received a lot of attention not only due to its high performance, but also because of its unusual exterior.
Over the past few years, the CSN has been supplied with an FTA-5901 raid armored car, designed for use in a variety of events. This machine has a number of important features of various kinds, which contribute to ease of use and help to solve all the tasks.
The car is on the ground. Photo o001oo.ru
First of all, among the advantages of the Viking, it is necessary to note the use of a ready-made chassis. This to a certain extent simplifies and reduces the cost of production and operation of equipment. In addition, unification with other samples is achieved - the KamAZ-4911 chassis was also used in the Falcatus project.
With all this, the base machine is distinguished by high technical characteristics. It is characterized by high mobility and cross-country ability, and the carrying capacity corresponds to the special equipment and the expected load. Accordingly, the armored car can work in urban conditions and on the ground, which has been repeatedly confirmed by practice.
The crew and troops aboard the Viking are protected by bulletproof armor. At the same time, he can observe through bulletproof glass, and, if necessary, respond to shelling with machine-gun fire. From the point of view of protection and armament, the armored car is inferior to some army models, but it fully complies with the requirements of the TsSN and the specifics of its work.
Proven by practice
In general, the FTA-5901 Viking is a fairly successful and modern protected transport for special forces with high mobility and protection characteristics. Such an armored car can be used in a variety of operations and help soldiers in solving special problems.
In the recent past, the Viking passed all the tests, was accepted by the customer and entered service. In the future, this technique was used in various events and sometimes even got into the frame. Previously, special forces armored vehicles were used in the North Caucasus, and now it has become known that they are involved in restoring order in Ukraine. The potential of the armored car has been repeatedly confirmed by practice, and it can be expected that the TsSN will continue to use it.
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