The Ukrainian Armor company on Tuesday unveiled a new version of the Novator armored vehicle it has fielded for the Ukrainian military and other customers.
The vehicle prototype is showcased at the MSPO defense industry show in Kielce, Poland.
“With the development of a new version of Novator, we continue to develop our vehicle lineup. The 10-seater armored vehicle is the latest improved version of the Novator armored personnel carrier, which has been supplied to the Ukrainian Defense Forces since 2018 and has passed the test of time and, most importantly, combat,” said Ukrainian Armor Director General Vladislav Belbas.
Belbas said that the new configuration of the vehicle was developed taking lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The vehicle is based on the Ford chassis, which is widely used by armored vehicle manufacturers. The main problem we have to overcome is the increase in the maximum load on the base chassis. Ford’s is 8845 kg. Our designers managed to solve this problem by using modern thinner and harder armor for armoring and by modernizing the suspension. These solutions allowed us to design a vehicle that meets the requirements of modern warfare,” said Belbas.
He also said the updated version of the Novator has enhanced mine protection. The armored vehicle can operate in different climatic conditions, regardless of the season, and on different types of roads, including off-road.
“Like the previous version, the 10-seater Novator is built on a modular basis and is, in fact, a universal platform that, due to its high degree of adaptability, can be used to perform a variety of combat missions and can be equipped with various weapons and combat modules,” added Belbas.