Deep Dive: The evolution of Ukrainian armored vehicles

BLUF: Armored vehicles are being used widely on the Ukrainian battlefield due to a lack of APCs. While vehicles built on civilian chassis have been a stop-gap in the war, Ukrainian manufacturers are moving to developing armored capsules from scratch due to fierce domestic competition and rapid battlefield innovation.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Armored vehicles are designed for reconnaissance, patrolling, and transporting supplies to dangerous areas. But in the Ukrainian army, the functions of armored vehicles are limited only by the imagination of the military.

Due to a chronic shortage of armored vehicles, Ukraine often operates them in the most dangerous parts of the frontline, performing battlefield evacuation and insertion roles. 

Several military personnel from different sectors along the frontline told Counteroffensive Pro that armored vehicles are even occasionally used to support assaults, partially compensating for the lack of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. 

The widespread use of swift, armored vehicles is a reflection of new battlefield realities.

“The enemy can see your movement from a drone at any time. That's why a speed of 40 km/h in the shelling zone is deadly. Armored vehicles go much faster, so a soldier in an armored vehicle has a better chance of getting out of the shelling unharmed than in heavy armored vehicles,” one of the soldiers from the direction of Kreminna told us.

At the beginning of the large-scale invasion, the Ukrainian army received vehicles that were actually intended for city police, such as Ukrainian Novator or Kozak-5 developed by companies ‘Ukrainian Armor’ and ‘Practika.’ But they often struggled under battlefield conditions.

“60 percent of armored vehicles come to us for repair because their design does not [withstand] operating conditions. For example, the driver drove into a deep pit and the vehicle's axles cracked,” said Artem Yushchuk, director of Inguar Defense, a company that develops and repairs armored vehicles. 

On the other hand, even lightly armored vehicles save the lives of the military during shelling. 

For example, a 120mm mine fell near the Novator vehicle pictured below. The crew was injured, but all survived. According to Artem Yushchuk, the vehicle can still be repaired. This Novator will be back in service by the end of this year. 

Ukrainians are fast learners, so new armored vehicles are closely aligned with frontline conditions.

One of the designers of the Novator armored vehicles told Counteroffensive Pro that their team is now strengthening the design and lightening the weight of the vehicles to increase their cross-country ability and reliability. 

At the request of the military, manufacturers have begun to produce larger versions of armored vehicles to carry more people. For example, the Novator-2 vehicle was created to transport 10 soldiers. 

Several Ukrainian companies are also launching specialized evacuation vehicles with medical equipment on board, for example, the Kozak-5 medevac. 

In mid-2024, tests began on the Varta-2 vehicle by Ukrainian Armor, which was equipped with a 30mm cannon. This is a significant leap forward in the combat capability of Ukrainian MRAPs, as previously they were equipped with machine guns only.

Approaches to production are also changing. Before the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian companies only mass-produced armored vehicles based on civilian chassis. 

This means that they simply bought a ready-made car, such as a Ford F550, added some components and covered the chassis with armored steel.

This is the cheapest and the simplest option technologically, for example models like the Novator or Kozak-5.

This is considered a dead end in the industry, as civilian vehicles are easily overloaded and not suitable for active combat and heavy armor.

Therefore, in their new developments, Ukrainian companies are moving away from this concept and launching monocoque-structured vehicles, which means they develop an armor capsule from scratch and put it on wheels. This technology is more complicated, but it makes the vehicles lighter and stronger than armored vehicles on civilian chassis. 

Such vehicles are Varta-2, or the Kozak 2m1 from Practika.

Inguar Defense went even further and developed a full-fledged military chassis for its vehicle based on imported units, which no one in Ukraine has done before. This design not only withstands the weight of the armor, but also provides a convenient platform for repairs and modifications. 

By getting rid of the civilian base chassis, which had weight restrictions, Ukrainian companies were able to significantly increase the level of protection in new models. In 2024, the first Ukrainian armored vehicles with a full STANAG 3 declared level of protection were produced. These are the Varta-2 and Inguar-3 vehicles. 

STANAG 4569 is NATO's standardization system for armored vehicles. It outlines 6 levels, with increasing levels of protection. STANAG 3 means that the armor capsule of these vehicles is able to withstand a 7.62mm round, an anti-tank mine explosion, and a 155mm shell falling at a distance of 60 meters. 

In terms of vehicle protection, some Ukrainian manufacturers have gone even further than foreign ones.  For example, Varta-2, Novator-2, and Inguar-3 have integrated electronic warfare modules that can warn of an approaching FPV drone and create a protective dome. 

This means better protection, more reliable designs and an expanded model range. Ukrainian manufacturers have come this far in just under three years. 

Further evolution of technology can put new Ukrainian cars on a par with Western ones in a relatively short time.

At the same time, Ukrainian models can find a competitive edge due to relatively cheaper labor. According to our sources, depending on the model, the cost of these Ukrainian armored vehicles ranges from $350,000 to $450,000.

At the same time, according to the Army Guide portal, the average prices for the American Maxxpro, Italian Iveco MLV, and Turkish Kirpi range from $430,000 to $600,000. These figures also refer to contracts until 2017, which means that prices are higher now due to inflation and increased demand for weapons.

But one should be careful in making comparisons, because different combat vehicles have different characteristics and tasks. 

In Ukraine, two key factors have converged to boost armored vehicle technology: 

1. Ukraine is a melting pot of armored vehicle tech

The military operates dozens of different models of armored vehicles from around the world. The army's experience is then transferred to domestic manufacturers through personal conversations and the formation of rapidly-developing technical specifications.

2. Fierce competition in the market

There are five companies in Ukraine that produce armored vehicles under government contracts, four of which are private. The firms compete for limited government contracts by offering new technologies and services.

According to Counteroffensive Pro's rough estimates, the total number of Ukrainian armored vehicles produced since the 2014 is about 2,000, most of which were produced after the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian manufacturers:

The leader in terms of the number of vehicles is Practika, which produces all armored vehicles from the Kozak line of vehicles. The most popular model is also the cheapest: the Kozak-5. However, the company is now preparing to produce the more expensive and technologically advanced Kozak-2M1. The new model has a higher level of protection and a more robust body by abandoning the civilian chassis.

Another major manufacturer is Ukrainian Armor. The company assembles hundreds of Novator vehicles every year, has begun mass production of the enlarged Novator-2, and is completing testing of its new Varta-2 vehicle. 

In 2023, UkrArmoTech entered the market. It mass-produces 10-seat GYURZA armored vehicles on a basic civilian Dodge RAM5500 chassis. 

Inguar, founded by former students of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, attracted investments this year and presented its first armored vehicle, Inguar-3, which will be one of the most technologically advanced, protected and expensive models on the Ukrainian market. The company is currently preparing the plant for mass production. 

The state-owned Ukroboronprom is also involved in armored vehicles, with its Dozor-B vehicle. However, little is known about the volume of production due to the secrecy of state defense enterprises.

Later, the Ukrainian companies may be joined by the Canadian company Roshel, which developed its armored vehicle based on the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war and now its models are the most common vehicles in the Ukrainian army after the HMMWV. The company seeks to localize production in Ukraine and announced the opening of a plant in the spring.

However, there are three main challenges that prevent Ukrainian manufacturers from becoming a full-fledged competitor for Western companies: 

1. Vehicles are almost entirely assembled from imported components

Only the destroyed Azovstal plant in Mariupol was able to produce armor, so now it is also imported from Sweden and Finland. As one of the top managers of a large steel company told Counteroffensive Pro, it is not currently economically feasible to resume production of armor steel in Ukraine. 

The low level of localization stretches the logistics process, increases the cost, and delays the production of new machines. And the lack of three-year government contracts for manufacturers prevents them from building up large stocks of components. 

2. There are no NATO certification agencies in Ukraine yet

No company has yet confirmed the level of protection of the vehicle at the test site according to STANAG standards. Ukrainian models have declared STANAG of 1, 2 and 3, but for an accurate check, the vehicle must be taken abroad and blown up with clearly defined shells.

3. Ukraine has a very limited budget

The army's need for armored vehicles in 2024 was 6,000, but the state does not have the resources to cover it in full. Due to the lack of money, the Ukrainian army orders mostly cheap armored vehicles based on civilian chassis.

By ordering quantity rather than quality,the introduction of new technological solutions may be slowed down. The market runs the risk of falling into a trap where the main customer is not interested in more technologically advanced vehicles.

Possible Solutions:

It is difficult for companies to persuade the state customer to buy more expensive and high-quality models, but some contracts have been signed or are being prepared for signing. 

Partial reopening of arms exports could speed up the development of new models. Armored vehicle manufacturers are among the most active supporters of this idea. Companies are already taking their vehicles to international exhibitions and preparing to conquer the global market with their technologies. But even a limited opening of exports is still a politically sensitive issue.

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