The fighters note the maintainability, reliability and convenience of the new equipment
The supply of Ulan buggies, manufactured on the basis of Niva, began to the troops. This is the first Russian large-scale conveyor of the leading edge. It is specially equipped for use in a combat zone. The Izvestia correspondent visited the front line and learned about the first impressions of the car from the soldiers of the 110th brigade of the 51st Guards Army of the Southern Military District.
The supply of Ulan buggies, manufactured on the basis of Niva, began to the troops. This is the first Russian large-scale conveyor of the leading edge. It is specially equipped for use in a combat zone. The Izvestia correspondent visited the front line and learned about the first impressions of the car from the soldiers of the 110th brigade of the 51st Guards Army of the Southern Military District.
Made for infantry
The car was made on the basis of units of the well-known Vaz Niva, taking into account the realities of the front. Upon inspection, it immediately catches the eye that it was developed specifically for military use. Unlike buggy models for hunting, recreation or sports, a large power supply unit for electronic warfare (EW) devices is installed on the Ulan instrument panel.
The lighting technology of the cars is interesting: front and rear blackout covers on all headlights — you can't do without them in the front lane. But they can be quickly removed when driving on public roads. Small LED fog lights have also been added. Night movement is not uncommon now — it helps to avoid attacks by kamikaze UAVs.
— This is our first mass-produced military equipment of this type. A buggy that has been modified just for us, for the war, for the infantry! — the platoon commander of the 110th brigade with the call sign Muzai shows the car.
He tells how the Ulan was baptized.
"We drove this car from Donetsk to Ocheretino, and from there to Malinovka," Muzai says. There are fierce battles going on there now, and I've already driven away from kamikaze drones in a Ulan. Two worked for me, but the car is intact.
Unified with Niva
Prior to his military service, Muzai repaired cars, and operated almost all common types of equipment at the front.
Muzai slaps the Ulan on the reinforced bumper and hood. They are reliable and metallic, and not extremely lightweight plastic, as in sports models.
According to him, they will withstand the inevitable impacts of rocks and branches, and even small fragments. The driver and passenger seats are equipped with mounts for personal weapons, an element that is not present on civilian buggies. Taking into account the large number of different types of submachine guns and machine guns and their tuning, the mount is equipped with a rubber yoke and is suitable for all common models.
— Everything is made for a person, for convenience, — says Muzai. — And the cool thing is that it's Russian. It's not some kind of China that someone invented and sent to you from the Ali Express. This is ours, if something broke, you went to get the parts from Niva and fixed them at any moment.
Muzai shows convenient boxes and tool kits, gas tank protection and user-friendliness. For example, starting the engine is implemented with a button without using keys. It's a small thing, but at a time when you need to quickly change drivers, it can be important.
Maintainability, according to the fighters, is one of the main problems of sports buggies. Cars are often running at the limit of their capabilities and require repairs. Parts for them often need to be ordered and waited for a long time.: they are not interchangeable with common car models due to the design features. The Ulan is maximally unified with the Niva, the most common domestic SUV.
"The car is moderately quiet, and you can hear the FPV drone and the Mavic, which is watching you to catch you,— Muzai explains. — Here your car is moving quietly, but fast, you can even compete in speed with a kamikaze.
He compares the Ulan to sports buggies, in which high—speed engines and transmissions emit a characteristic and rather loud sound - this is the price for the high speed characteristics and low weight of the cars.
Ulan also has an engine and gearbox from Niva. For this reason, Muzai says, the car gets not only a reserve of power, but also all-wheel drive, as well as wheels with a larger radius.
Combat standard
The car's body is optimized for combat missions. The sides recline, and there are small footboards for quick loading of personnel. There are brackets on the floor for attaching awnings or cargo.
— There is a place for a "mechanical EW", that is, for a man with a gun who monitors the situation, — jokes the commander of the Tpp platoon, showing a folding seat for the escort shooter in the back.
It is made against the course of movement so that the shooter sees the rear hemisphere, which is inaccessible to the driver and commander sitting in front.
An important point that the TPP notes is that the machine provides high loading and unloading speeds, and it is dangerous to stand in one place. According to him, the only advantage of imported models was the high engine power. In terms of performance, he rates the Ulan as a machine that will significantly improve maneuverability.
"These vehicles on the line of contact will make both transportation and evacuation much more efficient," Tpp believes. "Ulans will also be useful when working with mobile groups of up to five or six people.
He recalls that during the battles for Galitsinovka and Zhelannoye, the main tasks of the equipment were assigned to buggies: only these vehicles could cope with off-road traffic along with small groups on foot.
Today, small arms turrets are not installed on the Ulan, and some fighters note that they could be relatively easily mounted on the car frame, significantly increasing the accuracy of shooting from the car.
The fighters note that as the mass combat operation progresses, minor body modifications are possible, such as mounting for medical stretchers. But in general, the appearance of such a specialized military vehicle on mass units is regarded by all our interlocutors as a big step forward.
The front needs it
During the time that it has been underway, logistics and transport of the frontline have completely changed. It has long been noted that the shoulder of transportation has increased many times along with the increase in the use of small kamikaze UAVs. Trucks have become an easy target at ranges where previously they were only threatened by the harassing fire of long-range guns.
In such conditions, jeeps and pickups, converted passenger cars, motorcycles and buggies spread to the front.
In 2023, the Chinese Desert Cross buggy, which was purchased by both the Ministry of Defense and large volunteer funds, became a massive full-time front-line transporter.
Dmitry Astrakhan
