ST.PETERSBURG. Feb 10 (Interfax-AVN) - The Yermak cross- country vehicle, capable of operating in rugged terrain, including swamps, is undergoing tests at a proving ground of a combat engineer unit in the Leningrad Military District.
The cross-country vehicle has been developed by the St. Petersburg-based Kirovsky Zavod Plant, one of the former largest tank manufacturers in Russia. The Yermak will replace helicopters and Canadian cross-country vehicles in transporting equipment and cargo to gas and oil derricks, deployed in the Extreme North and Siberia, Vladimir Klinsky, chief production engineer of the plant, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.
He emphasized that the vehicles, which has a weight of a medium main battle tank, boasted a ground pressure of only 300 g/sq. cm (by way of comparison, a human creates a pressure of 500 g/sq. cm). This feature has been achieved by employing wide tracks, made of a special light but strong material, based on an alloy of metal and rubber, he said.
Klinsky also stressed that the Yermak was capable of fording up to two-meter deep water obstacles, as its power plant was mounted on a high platform and was out of reach of water and mud. The Yermak features only Russian-manufactured parts, Klinsky noted. For instance, the driver's compartment is manufactured by KAMAZ, transmission by the Cheboksary plant, etc. The power plant, designed by the Yaroslavl engine plant, boasts an output of 500 hp.
The Kirovsky Zavod used to be Russia's largest tank manufacturer. At the present time it is primary known for its Kirovets giant tractors, as well as various metal conversion products. The enterprise is one of Russia's largest civil product exporters.