"Centurion" - a new war chariot for special operations
One of the few photographs of the FSB Centurion armored car. Source: telegram
Machines for special occasions
Armored cars with a very charismatic appearance, which are called “Falcatus”, are called secret armored cars. This is one of the most prominent representatives of the armored vehicles of the FSB Special Purpose Center.
The armored car has a very unusual appearance, tailored according to rally canons - a sloping forehead and impressive wheels with large suspension strokes. The author of the design, Svyatoslav Sahakyan, worked at ZiL at the time of the creation of the first prototype of the armored car, so the Falcatus can rightfully be called a capital thing.
In most respects it was a typical MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) with high ground clearance, a wedge-shaped bottom and mine-resistant seats. According to open data, the troop compartment accommodates up to 9 people and a couple more people in the control compartment (driver and commander of the vehicle). FSB officers sit behind the armor with their backs to each other and, if necessary, can conduct all-round fire.
The extremely large angle of inclination of the windshield of the armored car attracts attention, from which even large-caliber bullets are likely to ricochet. Hence the comparison with the ancient Spanish sickle-shaped sword Falcata - the appearance of these two products really has something in common.
"Falcatus" on a mission
The aggressive design, generously flavored with matte black color, should signal to the enemy unambiguously and clearly that these are tough guys.
It is interesting that in the original version the armored car was called not at all heroically - “Bedbug”. Then there was the even more controversial name "Punisher", until they settled on "Falcatus".
The exact number of cars produced since the start of production in 2012 is unknown. One can also only guess about the tactical and technical characteristics of the armored car. Only the filling is known - the TMZ-7E846 turbodiesel with a capacity of 730 hp. pp., 12-speed automatic transmission ZF and platform of the rally KamAZ-4911 Extreme.
Together with the Falkatus, another armored car serves in the FSB - the Viking. The car has a much more traditional design, which makes the interior space noticeably larger. The armored car is a protected version of the KamAZ rally truck and is significantly cheaper in comparison with the Falcatus.
"Geetah" for Special Operations Forces, based on KamAZ-4911. The power supply allows the vehicle to reach 150 km/h or more
"Viking" spotted in NVO
It completely lacks mine protection and rational angles of inclination of armor panels and glass. However, what kind of resistance to mines can we talk about in relation to a car with a cabover design? The considerable height of the vehicle, as well as the lack of a remotely controlled firing point, have a detrimental effect on survivability. However, this did not prevent the Viking from being used in the Northern Military District - a few examples were spotted at the front.
At one of the parades in 2020, the Gepard armored vehicle was demonstrated, which is a version of the Viking for the Special Operations Forces. Nothing is known about the further fate of the armored cars of a specific sand color.
"Centurion" - brother of "Falcatus"
At the beginning of April 2024, information appeared about a new armored vehicle for the FSB, the Centurion. Quite high-quality photographic evidence of the machine’s existence appeared in a number of Telegram channels. Of course, there is no official information on this matter, but even from the appearance of the car many conclusions can be drawn.
"Centurion" for the Special Operations Center of the FSB of Russia
"Centurion" is an armored vehicle, clearly built on the basis of the same rally KamAZ-4911. This is evidenced by the dimensions and characteristic hubs.
Noteworthy are the large wheel arches, clearly designed for good suspension travel. And this is not for the sake of geometric cross-country ability - the car is designed for high speed over rough terrain. Which suggests the presence of the previous 730-horsepower turbodiesel.
Unlike the Viking, the new armored car is made in a hood design, and this significantly increases mine resistance. The shape of the body in profile resembles an octagon, which almost completely repeats the Falcatus. "Centurion", in comparison with its predecessor, lacks armored caps on wheels. Perhaps they were abandoned due to limited mobility (the steering angle of the front wheels was clearly affected), perhaps the standard inflation system proved to be quite effective, and the armor on the wheels turned out to be unnecessary.
Noteworthy is the absence of “aerodynamic” cockpit glazing. This spectacular, but rather controversial element clearly brought a lot of trouble in the sunny Caucasus. The Centurion's windshield has a reverse slope, which simultaneously improves the ergonomics of the workplace and increases bullet resistance.
Not much can be said regarding the level of armor, but the car is clearly lined with replaceable panels. Most likely, this is high-hardness ceramic armor - expensive, but effective. The purpose of the armor plates laid in scales above the rear wheel arches is not entirely clear. From the outside it may seem that they hide the radiator of the engine cooling system and the air intake, but the Centurion is a front-engine car.
As an option, camouflage smoke generators can be placed behind the scales, or additional engine cooling radiators are actually installed there. Still, it is difficult to keep a 730-horsepower diesel engine at the optimal temperature under an armored shell.
"Centurion"
An important feature of the Centurion is the crew’s good situational awareness of the environment. There are four rotating cameras on the roof and a pair more in the front and rear. A forward-facing camera can also be seen on the cheekbones of the rear overhang. Complement history powerful diode spotlights around the armored car.
The layout of the fighters inside the vehicle also remained the same. On the sides and doors, narrow armored glass is visible, as well as five loopholes. It would be very nice for such a vehicle to have standard means of combating kamikaze UAVs. This is one of the most pressing and dangerous threats to technology - engineers could not help but take this into account when designing. For the presence of jammers drones hinted at by small armored boxes on the roof of the car closer to the rear.
The scheme for boarding and leaving the armored vehicle remained the same - through four side doors and a rear double-leaf ramp. It is generally dangerous to be at the stern of this giant - a sign under the door warns of the danger of being crushed by a heavy folding segment.
Judging by the photos presented, the Centurion never received a remote-controlled weapons roof module. As with its predecessors, the fighters will work from a very conditionally protected position.
Among the congenital deficiencies, one can point out that the geometric cross-country ability of an armored car is not the highest. Despite the small overhangs, the Centurion has a decent base, which somewhat limits its ability to overcome uneven terrain.
However, the element of operation of such equipment does not imply overcoming swamps, forest thickets and ravines. This is a machine for destroying terrorists holed up in houses. The armored car must quickly move to the point, deliver the troops directly to the porch and, if necessary, cover the fighters with its body.
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