The Ukrainian Armor Design and Manufacturing Company announced the presentation of its new combat vehicle at the MSPO-2024 military expo in Kielce, Poland. Named Varta 2, it's a weaponized armored personnel carrier created by implementing the real combat requirements shared by Ukrainian soldiers and the company's experience in producing armored vehicles including Varta, Novator, and Kamrat.
The new Varta 2 weighs 14 tons, which is 3.5 tons lighter than the previous Varta, yet the protection, both kinetic and anti-mine, has grown one level up to STANAG 3a/3b standard. The armored carrier got a 360-hp Cummins ISB 6.7 engine and an Allison 3200SP automatic transmission. The clearance is 400 mm.
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"Thanks to the independent suspension and the CTIS system (central tire inflation system - ed.), Varta 2 is able to develop a high speed [110 km/h] and overcome obstacles," the Ukrainian Armor said in a statement.
Notably, the new vehicle no longer relies on the chassis supplied from belarus, a country that supported the russian invasion of Ukraine by providing its territories and airfields for deployment of russian troops and aircraft. It was the reason why the company had to give up on their previous project, the Varta APC. The new vehicle, however, is made out of BASE 4x4 wheeled chassis, manufactured in Turkiye.
"Varta 2 is an entirely new vehicle, developed while taking into account the company's ten-year experience, the needs of the military personnel, and modern war conditions," says Vladyslav Belbas, CEO of Ukrainian Armor LLC.
The machine has shock-absorbing anti-mine seats with five-point safety belts, and a protected bottom suspended on cables, which reduces the risk of damage to the vehicle and injuries. Varta 2 can carry up to 10 crew members.
The main armament is the Sich weapon station with a 30mm automatic cannon. The interior is also integrated with an air filtration system to protect the personnel from chemical and biological threats.
For a reminder, Ukrainian Armor announced it was working on a new type of vehicle to replace the Varta in November 2023. Meanwhile, the company also presented an updated 10-seater version of its other armored vehicle, the Novator. The larger vehicle called Novator-2, a couple of batches were delivered to the National Guard of Ukraine in early July and August of 2024, the vehicles came equipped with electronic warfare systems from Kvertus.
Read more: Ukrainian Armor Delivers Batch of Novator-2 Armored Vehicles with EW Systems to National Guard
