MOSCOW, February 23 (AVN) - The Zashchita corporation has designed a special SBA-4959 armoured bus on the basis of the EZSA-4217 bus produced by the Spetsavto JS in the town of Engels, Saratov region, Zashchita Director General Vladimir Plishkin told the Military News Agency on Friday.
The new bus is intended to transport personnel and military cargo and can be used as a mobile checkpoint or transporter for special units. It can be equipped with a variety of armament systems, including turret machine-guns, cannons or light missile systems. If a communication system is installed in the bus, it may be used as a mobile control centre.
The bus's weight without torret launching systems is 12,200kg and the total weight is 15,530kg, cargo capacity with crew and additional equipment is 3,330kg and armour weight is 2,860kg. The holding capacity is 40 people, engine capacity 240 horse powers, maximum speed 80km per hour. The bus's armour protects it from 5.45mm - 7.62mm small arms, including those that use bullets with steel heat-strengthed spool.
Law-enforcement agencies and banks have ordered about 100 buses this year. Banks plan to use it as operational registers. The price of the bus is RUR1.5m (USD52,390). The vehicle was tested by the 21st and 39th R&D institutes of the Defence Ministry.