Image source: topwar.ru
The Canadian company Roshel is one of the main commercial suppliers of armored vehicles for the needs of the Armed Forces. As indicated in the Defense Blog, by the beginning of 2024, it had delivered 1,000 Senator armored vehicles.
Despite a number of materials (clearly an advertising profile) praising the advantages of this aircraft, there was evidence from the Ukrainian military, who negatively assessed this equipment due to its low reliability and insufficient reservation.
Until recently, this model was relatively rare at the front. Therefore, a number of Russian observers had the opinion that the Senator is used mainly in the rear and acts, for example, as a command vehicle. However, this armored car, along with other equipment, became one of the active participants in the Kursk raid – the initial period of the AFU offensive, when Ukrainian units sought to move as far as possible deep into Russian territory using light, highly mobile vehicles.
Thus, this armored car actually turned out to be not an auxiliary vehicle, but a machine for performing the main combat mission.
The Canadian company has introduced a new version of the Senator, equipped with the Ukrainian remotely controlled combat module "Tavria 14.5". This modification is positioned as a next-generation armored personnel carrier. DUBM is armed with a 14.5mm KPVT machine gun with 200 rounds of ammunition. The possibility of additional installation of a 7.62mm PKT is offered.
Image source: topwar.ru
Senator with DUBM "Tavria 14.5"
The DUBM has a 360° rotation and elevation angles from -15 to 70°, which allows for a wide range of targets. The combat compartment is protected in accordance with the 1st level according to the STANAG 4569 standard, that is, it has a minimum reservation that allows it to withstand a simple bullet from a 7.62 x 51 mm cartridge. Mine protection – at the level of 6 kg of explosives.
The maximum speed is 100 km/h. The vehicle can accommodate a crew and a landing party with a total number of up to 12 people.
