First “Bayraktar”, now “Kirpi”: Why is this armored vehicle considered one of the best in its class? (Video)
Made in Turkey Bayraktar Unmanned aircraft has become a very serious support for the Ukrainian armed forces in the ongoing war against the Russian aggressors. Now, Turkey has made another serious statement: the first batch of 50 armored vehicles Kirpi to be just delivered to Ukraine, while the first scenes were posted on social networks. What exactly makes this model so special?
“Kirpi” means “Hedgehog” in Turkish. It is manufactured by a company called BMC. This particular vehicle is primarily designed as a troop transport, it also provides high protection against a number of heavyweight threats, including mines and ballistic missiles. It uses dual armor, plus its underbody has a V-shape that reduces the impact of any explosive ground-based devices.
However, Kirpi’s functionality is not limited to just carrying personnel, because it can easily be equipped with various add-ons, depending on the mission requirements.
The first prototype of the Kirpi was produced in 2009. Since then, the military vehicle has received a number of upgrades. Its effectiveness has also been proven in practice – Turkish Ground Forces claim that the number of casualties has decreased significantly since Kirpi was added to the military list. Currently, this truck is also being successfully exported to a number of countries.
Latest iteration – Kirpi 2 – was introduced in 2018. It features a number of technological innovations and also features specially developed subsystems to increase not only efficiency but also ride comfort. Kirpi now has independent suspension, improved air conditioning, engine cooling package.
Kirpi armored vehicle in Ukraine. Image credit: Ukrinform TV (still image from YouTube video)
The new composite additional armor (2nd layer of armor is used in addition to standard armor) is lighter, resulting in greater load capacity, while providing improved protection against mines. The passenger seat is also protected by mines. The window is bulletproof.
The car can carry 13 people, including the driver. The BMC Kirpi has five gun ports and two hatches on the roof. One of them leads to a shielded hand-operated turret, which can be upgraded by remote control automatic weapon station.
The BMC Kirpi (all-wheel drive model) weighs 18 tons when empty, or 20 tons at full load. The transporter is equipped with a 375 hp (275 kW) engine. ABS brakes are standard. The staff cabin and the engine part are equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system. The range of these trucks is also impressive: able to run about 1000km at 60km/h.
An additional 150 Kirpi armored vehicles are expected to arrive in Ukraine in the near future.
