Vodnik ( utomotive number GAZ-3937 and its modified version GAZ-39371 is a Russian high-mobility multipurpose military vehicle manufactured by GAZ. It is a "heavy modification" of the civil GAZ-2330 "Tigr". Its name comes from the Russian "водник" – a person employed in water transport, but is also used to refer to some person or object simply related to water. The Vodnik was adopted by the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

Description

This vehicle is amphibious, and uses its wheels to propel itself when afloat. It has a water-displacing hermetic hull which provides improved fording performance and a 4x4-type chassis with independent suspension and a centralized system of tire-pressure control. The ground clearance is 475 mm. The standard undercarriage with a cab can be fitted with a number of different modules with various number of passenger seats and cargo compartments, seating up to 10 people. It is powered by a 175 hp (130 kW)

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-cal ...

giving a top speed of 112 km/h (4 to 5 km/h when swimming). The car is built on a modular scheme. Welded body includes two removable modules. Front module consists of a power department and management, divided sealed bulkhead. The rear multi-module due to the quick release coupling can be replaced in the field. In other words, a single chassis can perform several functions, depending on the installed modules: * transportation of people; * freight handling and processing equipment in remote areas; * transportation of residential units and other utilities modules; * perform the functions of technological machines fuel and energy complex (tankers, containers, etc.). The vehicle has a switchable front wheel drive, independent torsion bar suspension, central tire inflation system, power steering and a powerful system for heating and air conditioning.

Armament

The Vodnik may be fitted with the same BPU-1 turret, designed in late 1970s, as the BTR-80 on the top of the vehicle towards the rear. The turret is fitted with the 14.5 mm

KPV The KPV-14.5 heavy machine gun (KPV is an initialism for Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova (Large-caliber Machine gun Vladimirov), in Russian as Крупнокалиберный Пулемёт Владимирова, or КПВ) is a Soviet de ...

heavy machine gun and 7.62 mm PKT coaxial light machine gun. The main gun is not stabilized (neither in the BTR-80 nor the BTR-80A), so accurate fire on the move is limited (to low speeds), and the rotation mechanism is manually operated. In some cases, it is fitted with a BPPU turret with a 30-mm

2A72 A7, A.7, A 7, A07 or A-7 may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A7, the A dominant seventh chord used in many rock songs, see dominant seventh chord * A (musical note) * ''A7'' (mixtape), by SCH, 2015 * Avenged Sevenfold, a hard rock/meta ...

and a PKT. The gunner sits in a roof mounted chair located above the flat floor behind the driver/commander and two passengers, and before the passenger bench. The gunner's station is basic, but uncharacteristically spacious for a Soviet-designed armored vehicle. The gunner is equipped with daytime sight. There are six 902V "Tucha" 81 mm smoke grenade launchers mounted on the rear of the turret.

History

The distant ancestor of GAZ-3937 "Vodnik" is floating car under the symbol NAMI-0281, of which the design begun in 1985. Though, this car had a completely different layout. The compartment of the power unit was located in the rear of the vehicle and the cargo compartment was housed in the middle. This solution made it possible to maintain a trim while afloat, almost regardless of the load. The modern GAZ-3937 has retained almost nothing from its predecessor. NAMI-0281 itself has some resemblance to the

BRDM BRDM is an initialism for ''Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina'', (RU Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина), literally "Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle". The BRDM is a four-wheeled amphibious veh ...

Versions

Vodnik is available in two versions. * GAZ-3937 - the driver and passenger sit one behind the other on the left side of the vehicle and to their right is the power plant. * GAZ-39371 - nose pushed forward for the wheel arches. And the driving compartment seats three: a driver and a passenger - one after the other as before, and the second passenger - the right of the driver. File:GAZ Vodnik in 2006.JPG, GAZ Vodnik in 2006 File:ГАЗ Водник, День Победы 9 Мая, 2009 г., г.Сысерть.JPG, GAZ Vodnik in 2009 File:GAZ-39371 - VTTV-Omsk-2009 -02.jpg, GAZ-39371

Operators

* * * * A GAZ-3937 "Vodnik" was captured by Ukrainian armed forces during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was last seen operating with UAF in action near Bakhmut in February, 2023.

Specifications

* Vehicle Weight (total), kg: 6600-7500 * Payload, kg: 1500-2500 * Number of passengers: 6 * Length, mm: 5800 * Width, mm: 2600 * Height, mm: 2630 * Wheelbase, mm: 3000 * Track, mm: 2200 * Ground clearance, mm: 475 * Engine: GAZ-5621 6-cyl. 128.7 kW/175 hp turbodiesel * Rab. volume, cm³: 3200 * Weight: 310 kg * Speed: 120 km/h * Cruising range, km: 700-1000

References

External links

Vodnik at official GAZ page
(Russian)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaz-3937 Off-road vehicles Military Industrial Company military vehicles Military trucks Military vehicles of Russia Cars of Russia Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s