Armoured Fighting Vehicle "Vodnik" (GAZ 3937) Review & Specifications

The GAZ 39371 Vodnik is the Russian answer to the HMMWV / Humvee. "Russian "Hummer" is the nickname given by people to one of the latest products of the Arzamas automobile plant - the high-mobility multipurpose vehicle GAZ-3937 "Vodnik". The purpose of the vehicle, as well as its appearance resemble those of its American "brother", but "Vodnik" surpasses the "American" in many parameters!

AFV GAZ 3937 "Vodnik" can, for instance, easily overcome water barriers; it has a water-displacing hermetic hull, a 4x4-type chassis, independent suspensions, a centralized system of tire-pressure control and a 475-mm ground clearance - all the necessary features of such a vehicle. AFV GAZ-3937 Vodnik was supposed to be a military-issue vehicle, but time showed that it would find employment in civil life: such a automobile is perfect for use in limited-access areas.



The standard undercarriage with a cab can be optionally complemented by different modules with various number of passenger seats and cargo compartments. The seating capacity of AFV GAZ-3937 is 10 people.



The AFV GAZ-3937 "Vodnik" (+ modification GAZ-39371) with allocation of crew ahead represents high-mobile vehicle intended for creation on its base of automobiles of special assignment.

Basis of a construction is modular circuit of construction of the automobile. The welded tank of the automobile has two removable units - front and back. The size limited to the front unit, includes power bay and bay of handle, disjointed hermetic partition.

The back unit represents useful size of the automobile, which can be used for transportation of the people and cargoes, mounting of special equipment and mobile installations. The main advantage of the automobile consists that, due to quick disconnect connection of the back unit and basic flange of tank, the fast replacement of different units on one automobile even in field conditions is possible. Thus, having a number of functional units, one the chassis can fulfil functions of several automobiles:

• Transportation of the people;
• Transportation of cargoes and process equipment in remote areas;
• Execution of functions of technological computers of the fuel and energy complex.
• Transportation of inhabited blocks and other municipal units;

The automobile is calculated on maintenance under following conditions:

• Speed of a wind up to 98 ft/s;
• Temperature of air from a minus 49 °F up to plus 122 °F;
• Relative humidity of air up to 98 % at temperature thus plus 77 °F;
• In conditions of high-mountainous district with height above a sea level up to 14800 ft and with possibility of overcoming of saddle-points of height up to 15300 ft.

The automobile has a disabled drive of front sprockets, hydroamplifier of steering handle, system of heating and conditioning. The installation of a radio and internal intercommunication set is possible.

Independent torsion suspension bracket, system of the centralized swapping of buses, the smooth bottom, large road gleam provide the sure movement of the automobile in conditions of impassability. The hermetic tank allows to overcome water barrier, right in water. The automobile has a high scale of unification with automobiles of operating production “GAZ” factory, that will provide deadlines by delivering on serial production.

AFV "Vodnik" / GAZ 3937 Specs:

• Special equipment
  - Bulletproof windows and bulletproof tires (Armored GAZ-3937)
  - An air-conditioning system
  - An autonomous heating-plant
  - Communication means: a radio station and an intercom
  - A radiation meter Overall weight - 6900 kg
• Load capacity - 1500 kg
• Seating capacity: 3+8
• Diesel engine - 175 horsepowers
• Base 3000
• Track width - 2215 mm
• Speed
  - on highway - 112 km/h
  - swimming - 4-5 km/h
  
• Cruising range on highway - 1000 km
• Maximal accessible slope on dry surface - 30 degrees
• Dimensions:
  - height (of the rear module): 2200 mm
  - length (of the hull): 5740 mm
  - width (of the hull): 2625 mm

Armoured Fighting Vehicle Vodnik (GAZ 3937) is an odd design, with a narrow cab and large storage capacity. It is amphibious at a quarter of its offroad speed. The high-mobility multipurpose vehicle "Vodnik" can have its load capacity increased from 1.5 to 2.5 tons, which makes it reasonable to use it for transporting people and cargo in areas of limited access in different spheres of economy, such as oil industry or developing new areas of maintenance of gas conduits and power transmission facilities.



This vehicle can be employed in rescue operations in regions of natural disasters, in transporting shift teams, creating favorable conditions in both cold and hot climate areas.