Volyn makes a combat “Vovkulak” out of an old BRDM
For several months now, a classic Soviet-era BRDM-2 combat reconnaissance and surveillance vehicle has been guarding Ukraine’s northern borders, and it has been modernized beyond recognition.
During the winter, volunteers from Volyn and Ternopil regions and mechanics from a separate Volyn brigade of the TRO significantly modified the Soviet BRDM-2. Time has shown that the result is a modern armored vehicle. And although the exterior features of the body still resemble the former Beerdee, the entire engineering score for the dissemination of such experience has already been written here.
After several decades on the balance sheet of the State Emergency Service in Rozhyshche, Volyn region, this two-axle 4×4 amphibious vehicle with chain drive and four additional retractable wheels (two on each side) was again transferred to the military. The condition of the armored vehicle was such that only the body and its transmission were worthy of attention, but even they needed modernization and full maintenance. Thus, the hull and bridges remained original.
They lost the water cannon that provided propulsion through the water. We threw away its power take-off and driveshaft. We removed the additional wheels, their hydraulic cylinders, and the chain drive with the power take-off. This “dismantling” helped reduce the weight of the machine.
The floor also became flat. Thus, it became possible to weld additional armor plates and make the body less vulnerable to small arms and shell or mine fragments.
The surface of the BRDM has also undergone changes. Instead of a primitive machine gun superstructure, a turret with a swivel mechanism from a destroyed Russian armored personnel carrier was installed. It has the best characteristics in terms of circular rotation speed, vertical and horizontal sector of machine gun fire against ground and low-flying targets.
With the help of installed night vision devices, we now have the ability to defeat the enemy in the dark. Now it’s not a BRDM anymore, but a real formidable “Vovkulak” – the name of the vehicle.
Side doors were made to allow the troops to move quickly inside, as the overhead hatches slowed down the time to take seats or leave the cabin. By the way, the side doors and flat floor throughout the cabin allowed us to take on board the wounded, as well as various cargoes.
The old carburetor engine is also a thing of the past. It was abandoned because of its weak power potential and excessive gasoline consumption. A Mercedes-Benz diesel engine was squeezed into the engine niche at the rear.
Nothing is said about its model. According to Auto24 experts, it can be a 170-horsepower unit from Atego from the family of medium-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 6.5 to 16 tons or a 5.5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine from the multifunctional Unimog. In the semi-hooded engine niche, there is a 170 kW (231 hp) engine with 900 Nm of maximum torque generated at 1200-1600 rpm. In its original engine configuration, the BRDM-2 had a 140-horsepower engine from the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant.
To facilitate control, we took a power steering system from a Ford Transit minibus. Improvements were also made to the engine cooling system, as its radiator was placed in a closed box of the armored body.
Volunteers and mechanics of the Volyn Brigade of the TRU do not intend to stop at one vehicle: the experience of using the first remanufactured BRDM has shown that such vehicles can still serve the Motherland well after being taken off the conservation list.
