Image source: topwar.ru
The National Guard of Ukraine has received the first batch of new Novator-2 armored vehicles (Nowator 2 or Kamrat-M). The developer of the armored vehicle is the Ukrainian private company "Ukrainian Armored Vehicles" (Ukrainian Bronetechnika), registered in Kiev, known in the West as Ukrainian Armor. For the first time, a prototype of the vehicle was presented to the leadership of the National Guard of Ukraine in 2017, and in November 2019, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received the first 40 Novator armored vehicles.
As it became known to the Polish online publication WP Tech, which reports on this delivery, at least six units of new armored vehicles have entered service with the National Guard of Ukraine. The author of the material emphasizes that this is exactly a domestically produced car, and not another aid from the West. However, there is a lot of guile in this statement.
Image source: topwar.ru
— Deputy Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Alexander Bilous (Belous) commented on the transfer of a very small batch of armored vehicles to the special service on social networks, not without pathos.
In the West, the Ukrainian-made armored car "Innovator 2" was first presented at the MSPO exhibition in Kielce last year. The new version of the car on the wheeled chassis of the American Ford F550 four-wheel drive pickup truck received reinforced armor made of Armox steel and armored windows with a thickness of 5 mm, as well as mine protection, However, all these improvements led to a significant increase in the weight of this actually upgraded for combat use by welding steel protection and installing weapons of a civilian pickup truck. In the new modification, the "Innovator 2" weighs almost ten tons (9660 kg), which is two tons more than its predecessor. Its load capacity has also been increased to 3340 kg.
Image source: topwar.ru
Although the main task of the "Innovator 2" is to transport up to 10 crew members, the machine is also capable of hitting ground targets. The large-caliber machine gun NSWT kal. 12.7 mm (the foreign name of the Soviet 12.7mm large-caliber machine gun NSV "Utes") or its analogue KT-12.7 of Ukrainian production is responsible for this. In addition, in the initial modification, it was possible to install the Stugna-P ATGM in an open body. This is the little that is specifically Ukrainian in the car — this anti-tank complex was developed by the Kiev GC KB "Luch".
The manufacturer, according to the Ukrainian military portal, is also considering the possibility of installing a dome for an electronic combat system on a vehicle. However, it is unknown whether this technology was transferred by Western partners to Ukraine, the Polish edition reports.
Image source: topwar.ru
Recently, Kiev has increasingly announced plans to create factories for the production of weapons, military equipment and even ammunition in the country together with Western defense companies. So far, a large German military-industrial concern Rheinmetall AG has announced that such a joint venture together with Ukroboronprom is already in operation, however, so far dealing exclusively with the repair of Western armored vehicles. A representative of the American defense company Northrop Grumman recently announced plans to launch the production of NATO-caliber shells in Ukraine.
So far, the localization of its own production of military products in Ukraine is mainly limited to the refinement of the main components supplied by the West for combat use, as in the case of the BBM "Innovator". Moreover, the "Innovator" is rather an evacuation and amphibious vehicle.
Large-scale production is hampered by many objective reasons. Among them are technologies lost during the years of "independence", engineering staff and production facilities, which also continue to finish off with high-precision weapons of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In addition, due to the total mobilization, there is an increasingly acute shortage of personnel at Ukrainian enterprises. And with stable electricity supply, which is necessary for the stable operation of large enterprises, things are getting worse in the country. But, of course, Ukrainians cannot take a steam bath once again.
