Made in Finland: Sisu is going to war
Changing security in Europe
Under the streamlined formulation of "changes in security in Europe," gunsmiths mean the militarization of production facilities. Quite peaceful Finns did not escape this fate, who are already five minutes away as part of NATO. Dividends from the current situation are ready to receive, in particular, a small but proud automaker Sisu. Recently, the company's management announced that it intends to pay special attention to the military assortment. It must be understood that militarization is taking place literally at the side of Russia, so it would be useful to recall what potential an inconspicuous Finnish manufacturer has.
Sisu KB-45. Source: wikipedia.org
A few words about stories Sisu, whose name is translated from Finnish as "will, perseverance." On April 1, 2022, the company celebrated its 91st birthday. The main profile of work throughout history has been the construction of buses, tractors, locomotives, timber trucks, dump trucks and automobile bridges of our own design.
The Sisu company is typically northern, which means that the equipment is particularly durable. All-wheel drive multi-axle schemes, heavy-duty alloy steel frames, heating of everything and everyone - this has become the hallmark of the Finnish brand. As well as an individual approach to each order - by and large, the company can be called an exclusive tailoring studio. By the way, Sisu is still working in Russia and, it seems, is not going to leave - our market is very important for the Finns.
Caterpillar conveyor Sisu NA-110. Source: wikipedia.org
Sisu is also important for the Finnish army. In many ways, it was this manufacturer that ensured the technological sovereignty of the military.
Let's start with tracked vehicles. Since 1985, the Sisu Nasu or Nauha-Sisu division has specialized in the assembly of the HA-110 and HA-120 series articulated tracked carriers. The Finns on this platform, depending on the version, mount a 120-mm mortar, BGM-71 TOW ATGM, a 12,7-mm NSV machine gun, sanitary and armored modules. The transporter can take up to 16 passengers on board, accelerate on land up to 65 km/h, and on water up to 6 km/h. The HA-110 is powered by an American GM V-8 diesel engine with a capacity of 154 hp. With. In total, Sisu assembled more than 500 articulated transporters, including for export to France, India, Turkey, Mexico and China.
BTR Pasi (Sisu Pasi) XA-180. Source: wikipedia.org
But, if the tracked HA-110 series can be called dual-use equipment, then the wheeled Pasi (Sisu Pasi) XA-180 is a typical armored personnel carrier. And, perhaps, one of the most belligerent examples of Finnish armored vehicles. Despite the fact that Helsinki until recently maintained a non-bloc status, the Finnish Defense Forces actively participated in many military and peacekeeping operations of the UN and NATO.
XA-180 is a typical classmate of the Russian BTR-80 and the German Fuchs. Appeared in 1983 and became a replacement for the outdated Soviet BTR-60. Initially, in addition to Sisu, the Finnish tractor manufacturer Valmet participated in the competition. As a result, the three-axle car from Sisu won, but with a 236-horsepower Valmet diesel engine. The floating armored personnel carrier in the basic configuration is completely toothless - only 12,7 mm Browning is armed on an unprotected turret.
The machine in various versions is operated by the armies of Finland, Estonia, Holland, Norway and Sweden. The armor is weak, it does not hold a 12,7 mm bullet even in the frontal projection, but there is an XA-200 version that can withstand a 14,5 mm caliber. The latest modification is no longer able to swim - the mass exceeds 20 tons.
The final Pasi APC was handed over to the military in 2005. Now all armored personnel carriers are gradually being replaced by modern and much heavier Patria AMV vehicles. Sisu has nothing to do with this car.
Sisu in military service
The Sisu RA - 140 DS Raisu demining machine looks interesting. Unlike classmates, the engineering truck has a demining unit located not in front, but in the back. For greater safety of the crew, the shaft with rotating 82 steel hammers on chains only works when the reverse gear is engaged. A massive “bulldozer blade” and an armored cab protect the sappers from the blast wave and fragments.
The 15-ton Raisu is powered by a German 190-horsepower air-cooled Deutz diesel engine. This is a fairly rare car - from 1994 to 2001, 41 copies were assembled for the army of Denmark and Finland.
Demining machine Sisu RA - 140 DS Raisu. Source: wikipedia.org
But the hallmark of "Sisu in uniform", of course, are military trucks. One of the first was the funny Sisu KB-45, which appeared in the light infantry of Finland in 1965.
Outwardly, this is a typical classmate of the Soviet GAZ-66, only with more advanced British Leyland diesel engines with a capacity of 135 hp. With. The carrying capacity on heavy soils was 2 tons, on hard surfaces - up to 4 tons. Sisu, for lack of its own, had to borrow bridges from the British company Kirkstall. Engineers have provided a twisting frame, which provides the KB-45 with high cross-country ability on bumps.
Please note that almost all Susi wheeled vehicles for the army are equipped with a set of snow chains, which help a lot in deep snow. Such is the specificity of harsh operating conditions.
Sisu KB-45. Source: wikipedia.org
The successor to the KB-45 in 1970 was the pair of A-45 and AN-45, which retained the concept of a light two-axle off-road vehicle. Leyland diesels for the truck, depending on the version, with a capacity of 145 to 150 hp. with., and the carrying capacity is increased to 4 150 kg. The cabin, unlike the Gas-66, is not placed on the motor, but is somewhat moved forward. This made it possible to improve the weight distribution along the axles and place the driver with two passengers in the cab.
The AH-45 variant is equipped with a hydraulic system that drives the wheels of the active trailer. Trailers can be either single or double axle. On the A-45 and AN-45 models, Sisu has already installed bridges of its own design.
Sisu A-45. Source: wikipedia.org
The next army truck, the two-axle SA-150 of the 1982 model, turned out to be much more technically advanced. You can call him almost 100% Finn. The motor here is from Valmet - 203 liters. with., axles and torsion frame from Sisu, and only a 6-speed gearbox from Germany from ZF. On board the truck can take up to 26 fighters or 6,4 tons of cargo.
SA-150 is a truck that is maximally adapted to NATO standards. For example, his tire size according to the NATO "gost" is 14.00-20. In addition to transporting infantry, the vehicle is intended for towing artillery pieces. The index in the name of Sisu military trucks indicates the engine power in kilowatts. For example, the three-axle SA-240 is equipped with a 326-horsepower Cummins diesel engine and a ZF hydromechanical gearbox. This is a real analogue of the Russian KamAZ-4310, which allows you to take on board up to 9,2 tons of cargo and tow the heaviest artillery systems of the Finnish Defense Forces. The truck was produced from 1984 to 1991.
Sisu SA-150. Source: wikipedia.org
Sisu SA-240. Source: wikipedia.org
Modern military Sisu start with the light two-axle MAN-Sisu or, officially, the Sisu A2045 HMTV (High mobility terrain vehicle). Here the Finns retreated from their technical sovereignty and sold more than 200 trucks to the army on German MAN units. From Sisu there is only a cabin, a frame and a body designed for 12 infantrymen. First shown to the public in 2008.
Sisu A2045 is the brand's most modern two-axle truck. Source: wikipedia.org
In the class of heavy three-axle trucks, Sisu has a 6x6 High Mobility Terrain Vehicle (HMTV) with a gross weight of 26 tons and a payload of 15 tons. Massive machines of the ETP 8x8 and 10x10 series with Caterpillar engines and proprietary axles are unified with it. Load capacity varies from 20 to 25 tons.
Sisu E13TP 8x8. Source: wikipedia.org
The Sisu E13TP 8x8 version is already directly adapted to NATO requirements - as the developers write, the car has a low silhouette and fits into the hold of the American transport Hercules C-130. With a standard 1CC cargo container, the height of the machine does not exceed 4 meters. It is noted that the cabin is armored with 4 mm steel and is highly resistant to mine explosions. Caterpillar C 13 engine with 445 horsepower. pp., "hydromechanics" Alison 4500 or native Sisu Axel.
Sisu E15TP 10x10. Source: wikipedia.org
But the newest five-axle Sisu E15TP 10x10 bridgelayer can be considered a real Finnish monster. A 26-meter bridge from the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) is located on the hump of this giant, through which equipment weighing up to 70 tons can pass. To increase the maneuverability of a 44-ton truck, two front and last axles are swivel. The power of the Caterpillar C15 diesel engine is 550 hp. with., and the carrying capacity of the platform is up to 25 tons. There are 9 such vehicles in the Finnish army.
Sisu GTP Concept
Sisu GTP. Source: sisuauto.com
In the flaring militarization of Europe, the Finns have special hopes for the Sisu GTP light armored car, which was originally developed for the Latvian army since 2018. The machine was designed with a V-shaped bottom to effectively dissipate the shock wave from mines and IEDs. The Finnish Defense Forces did not stand aside and ordered 6 GTPs a couple of years ago for testing.
So far, it is known that the engine of the six-meter German armored car Mercedes-Benz OM926 is 308 hp. with., automatic transmission Allison 3500, razdatka ZF VG750, and weight 14 tons. The six-meter MRAP includes a maximum of 2 crew members and 8 paratroopers. In the body configuration, options are possible - a pickup truck with a two-row cab, a two-seater pickup truck, a station wagon and a medical module.
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