Military vehicle history and technical data

Armoured personnel carrier FV432

The purpose of the FV432 armoured personnel carrier is to transport infantry on the battlefield. Production started in 1962 at the GKN Sankey factory, Great Britain. Currently no longer in production.

The FV432 is made of steel, has a conventional tracked chassis, a front-mounted engine and a right-hand driving position. The driver’s seat is adjacent to the driver’s seat and a hatch. There is a large opening in the roof of the passenger compartment with a folding hatch and a hinged side door at the rear for loading and unloading and for the embarkation and disembarkation of crew. The passenger compartment has five seats on each side, which are foldable for cargo transport. British Army doctrine required soldiers to dismount in order to engage in combat, so, as with most models of the time, there are no gun turrets on the armoured personnel carrier. On the contrary, most of the combat vehicles used by the Russian infantry have firing turrets.

The armoured personnel carrier is equipped with a nuclear, biological and chemical weapons protection system. Ventilation is provided as standard by a fan mounted on the front right-hand side of the vehicle, with air drawn through a paper filter mounted on the right-hand outer side of the vehicle. However, in the event of a gas attack, it is foreseen that carbon filters and air heating or cooling devices could be installed. A safety valve mounted on the roof allows a constant minimum pressure to be maintained and prevents the ingress of foreign matter or changes in external atmospheric pressure.

Some armoured personnel carriers have amphibious capability. Thus, propelled by their tracks, they can navigate in rough water and reach speeds of around 6 km/h.

Type: armoured personnel carrier.
Place of origin United Kingdom. In service from 1963 to present.
Manufacturer: GKN Sankey;
Top speed: about 52 km/h (32 mph);
Engine: Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel;
Power: 240 hp (180 kW);
Dimensions: weight: 15 tonnes (15,3 t), length 5,25 m (17 ft 3 in), width 2,55 m (8 ft 4 in), height 2,28 m (7 ft 6 in);
Chassis: torsion-bar with 5 steel wheels;
Crew capacity: 2 + 10 soldiers, can be additionally armoured up to 12.7 mm.

Volvo TGB20 (Volvo C03 6×6-5-V)

The car was developed in the late 1960s and entered production in 1974, production ceased in 1984. The B30 engine used is from a conventional Volvo civilian car. It has excellent roadholding characteristics. The cars are narrow to allow driving through trees and on narrow forest roads. They are used not only by the army but also by the civil rescue service, electricity companies and for personal use.

In 1983, at the Paris-Dakar Rally, Volvo C303 (Tankodromas.lt has C306) won the class for trucks up to 10 tons.
It is still used by the military in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Angola and Malaysia.
Top speed: about 100 km/h (62 mph)
Engine: Volvo B30A petrol
Power: 125 hp (93 kW), 117 hp (87.2 kW)
Weight: 3 390 kg, total 5 700 kg
Dimensions: length 6 050 mm, width 2 140 mm, height 2 800 mm, volume 2 982 litres
Brakes: all-wheel drum, dual, vacuum, semi-permanent system

Chevrolet (Blazer) M1008

Wide-role military off-road truck. Used by the military as a truck, for cargo transport, troop transport, and as a medical vehicle.
Manufactured by General Motors Defense from 1984 to 1987.
Maximum speed: not specified.
Engine: 6.2 l Detroit Diesel V8
Three-speed automatic transmission TH-400
Body type can be: 2-door or 4-door SUV, 2-door or 4-door pick-up
Dimensions: length and weight vary by model, width 2.06 m (81.2 inches), height 1.92 m (75.4 inches)