Russian Tigr special armoured vehicle from Military Industrial Company makes debut at Tank Days in Slovakia.
The Tank Days in Laugaricio – a festival of history and military hardware enthusiasts, which has become a tradition – took place about 100 km from Bratislava in 1 and 2 June.
Dozens of private collectors of military gear bring to the show over a hundred full-scale tanks, self-propelled artillery systems, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, armoured vehicles, army lorries, guns and mortars and even aeroplanes as well. Although the materiel dates back to early last century, all vehicles are in good running order.
This year’s festival featured the debut of the SBM VPK-233136 Tigr (Tiger) armoured car from the Military Industrial Company (VPK). By tradition, the Tigr rode as part of the column of the vehicles participating in the show and then displayed its cross-country ability, having impressed thousands of the spectators by its ability to move fast in terrain devoid of roads altogether.
After the demonstration had been over and the vehicles had been parked at their spaces, the Tigr was scrutinized by representatives of the Slovak uniformed services attending the Tank Days show. They familiarised themselves with its equipment and then tried the vehicle on the move. During the test drive, Slovak servicemen overcame a number of natural and cultural obstacles and tried the car in various modes off road, having noted the Tigr’s high average speed and smooth ride. According to the experts who tested the Tigr, they liked the vehicle very much and would not mind to have it at their disposal.