Wahash armored personnel carrier with “Shturm” combat tower on IDEX 2019
On IDEX-2019 international exhibition, which is taking place in Abu-Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), the Wahash 8×8 armored personnel carrier with BM-3M “Shturm” combat tower is introduced for the first time. Wahash 8×8 armored personnel carrier with BM-3M “Shturm” combat tower is the result of cooperation between enterprises of the Ukrainian State Concern Ukroboronprom and UAE company Calidus LLC.
The Wahash is an amphibious vehicle designed for high ground mobility and agility. It is described as being ideal for combat, surveillance and counter-insurgency. Powered by a 720 hp engine, it has a top speed of 130 km/h on land and range of 750 km. As it is amphibious, it can travel at 8-10 km/h in Beufort scale sea state 2 thanks to two propellers fixed to the back of the vehicle. Designed for the Middle Eastern climate, it can operate in temperatures ranging from -30 to 55 degrees Celsius.
The Wahash has been designed to offer scalable protection to meet the end user’s needs. The vehicle can be certified to STANAG 4569 Level 1, 2 or 4 ballistic protection or Level 4A and 4B landmine protection. Against improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the vehicle is protected against a 50 kg blast charge and 155 mm fragmentation charge. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection is standard as is an automatic fire and explosion suppression system. South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) carried out the landmine and IED certification tests.
Wahash is 8.5 metres long and its hull is 2.7 metres high, allowing two to be transported in a C-17 transport aircraft. It has a combat weight of 32 100 kg and payload of 10 000 kg. A driver, commander, gunner and eight dismounts can be transported. The vehicle has independent double-wishbone two-stage hydropneumatic suspension and a turning circle of 18 metres.
BM-3M “Shturm” combat tower is used on BTR-3 APC which is serially produced by the State Enterprise Kyiv Armored Plant and has successfully passed the hardest tests in real combat actions in the East of Ukraine. Modern digital system with laser range finder and gun stabilizer ensures for the BM-3M “Shturm” high accuracy of firing with the 30 mm automatic gun, machine-gun and automatic grenade launcher, as well as “Barrier” anti-tank guided missiles system.
Due to the BM-3M “Shturm” combat tower the Wahash 8×8 APC is provided with powerful arsenal of weapons for destroying of an enemy from the distance of up to 5 km at any weather conditions day and night.
It shall be mentioned that Wahash 8×8 APC is one of the most up-to-date APCs of its class that was created by combination of the cutting edge technologies from the leading world class manufacturers. Therefore integration of the Ukrainian combat tower into this APC constitutes another evidence of high efficiency of the Ukrainian weapons.
On February, 18th, 2019 the “Calidus LLC” and the State Company Ukrspecexport, which is a member of the State Concern “Ukroboronprom”, signed the Memorandum of cooperation having consolidated the reached agreements in further cooperation.
In particular, it is planned to produce jointly the Wahash 8×8 APCs with BM-3M “Shturm” combat tower and to promote it on the markets of UAE and other countries. Besides that, the parties plan to extend cooperation in implication of programs for modernization and producing of new pieces of armament and military equipment.