In Russia, the Saracen all-terrain platform has been created for mobile groups in the SVO zone
Russia has developed an all-terrain platform designed for the movement of mobile combat groups as a defense for columns of military equipment. This was announced by Konstantin Bagdasarov, CEO of the company developing the unique machine Argo LLC, on Wednesday, January 24.
The platform is called "Saracen". In total, three varieties of this machine have been created at the moment: light, medium and heavy. The lightweight Saracen is designed using the Niva Legend chassis in the buggy form factor, and its demonstration will take place this year at Expotechnostrage exhibitions in St. Petersburg and the Army Forum in Patriot Park in Kubinka.
The heavy Saracen is a 6x6 three—axle car on the UAZ platform.
At the same time, all types of platforms do not provide for the installation of armor. According to Bagdasarov, this will increase maneuverability and reduce visibility, he explained to RIA Novosti.
The developer said that two such vehicles are already in the zone of special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine and are successfully used by the Russian military. At the same time, one of the "Saracens" has been involved in battles since December 2022. None of the platforms were damaged.
"These vehicles are used by Cossack detachments, which are structurally part of the Rosgvardiya," Bagdasarov said.
In addition, he said that Saracens can be used to deploy "nomadic combat points": a group on a platform arrives at a point, conducts a fire defeat of the enemy, after which it is immediately able to return to a safe zone.
"These vehicles can accommodate a mortar division of three or four 120-millimeter mortars. In the presence of such groups, the time for deployment and firing is minimal. Let's take three cars: the rate of fire of a mortar when fired correctly is up to 10 rounds per minute, that is, up to 30 mines are fired per minute, the area of damage from such a volley is more than a hectare, after which the cars immediately took off and left," the developer explained.
He also clarified that the lack of armor on the vehicles does not pose a danger to the military: soldiers are protected by bulletproof vests, and if an enemy shell hits the Saracen hull, they have time and opportunity to leave the platform in the shortest possible time.
Earlier, on January 23, it became known that tests of anti-drone mini-missiles developed by the High-Precision Complexes holding for anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), which are to enter the special operation zone in Ukraine, are coming to an end in Russia. The tested projectiles are designed to eliminate small drones, quadrocopters, as well as FPV drones.
Last December, the Polish Interia portal reported that the appearance of the Russian self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) Pantsir-SM at the front would create serious problems for the Ukrainian army. This complex can identify small targets at a distance of up to 75 km, and the use of new guided missiles increases the interception range to 40 km. The developers have increased the capabilities of the system to detect and neutralize targets at an altitude of 15 to 18 km.
In the same month, the High-Precision Complexes holding announced that Russian developers had upgraded the Pantsir missile defense system, increasing the accuracy of its strikes against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and long-range missiles. In addition, it was clarified that the 2023 state defense order for the supply of this type of equipment to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was fulfilled ahead of schedule. The company, located in Tula, continues to produce anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems ahead of schedule.
The special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
