President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan visited the Nurafshan Special Equipment enterprise on July 22, which produces special vehicles, military equipment, and various mechanisms under the KRANTAS brand.
The company is preparing for serial production of new armored personnel carriers with 6×6 and 8×8 wheel configurations, and also plans to launch production of up to 10,000 trucks and pickups per year.
Akmal Karimov, one of the two founders of the enterprise, told the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel that the company started developing armored vehicles five years ago. "Five years ago, our enterprise first developed and manufactured an armored vehicle. The first model was the Tarlon armored car," he said.
According to him, the vehicle was created for the Armed Forces, National Guard, and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan. The car has a fifth class of protection and is assembled from components of European manufacturers. "The design, layout, and drawings of the car were developed by specialists from our enterprise's design bureau. That is, this equipment was not produced under a license of foreign brands or based on a project purchased abroad. The project was developed and created from scratch by Uzbek engineers," Karimov emphasized.
Later, the enterprise developed more compact armored vehicles Qalqon-1 and Qalqon-2, intended for use in urban conditions. They have a fourth class of protection.
The company also created Arslon armored personnel carriers with 6×6 and 8×8 wheel configurations. According to Karimov, the vehicles have already passed state tests. "We prepared the drawings and manufactured these vehicles. Now the armored personnel carriers have passed state tests. Our enterprise is preparing to organize their serial conveyor production," he said.
According to technical specifications obtained by the newspaper, the vehicles are designed for transporting units, fire support, and performing special tasks in high-risk areas.
Both models are armed with a 30-mm automatic cannon and a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. Each armored personnel carrier has a crew of three, and the troop compartment is designed for eight servicemen. The vehicles are equipped with Cummins engines and Allison automatic transmissions.
The Arslon 6×6 weighs 22 tons, is 7 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 3.5 meters high. Engine power is 450 hp, maximum speed is 100 km/h, and range is 650 km. Armor protection is stated to be STANAG Level 4: the hull withstands hits from 12.7 and 14.5 mm ammunition, and mine protection is designed for an explosion of up to 8 kg in TNT equivalent.
The Arslon 8×8 weighs 33 tons, is 8 meters long, 3.1 meters wide, and 3.4 meters high. The armored personnel carrier is equipped with a 600 hp engine, can reach speeds of up to 105 km/h, and has a range of 600−700 km. Protection is stated to be STANAG Level 6: the vehicle withstands hits from 14.5 and 30 mm ammunition, as well as an explosion of a charge weighing up to 10 kg.
Both models can climb gradients of up to 30 degrees and overcome vertical obstacles up to 1 meter high.
Nurafshan Special Equipment plans to master the production of 10 models of trucks with a carrying capacity from 2 to 32 tons.
For the new project, the enterprise purchased equipment from Turkey, China, and European countries. Its installation and commissioning are scheduled for the third and fourth quarters.
"After that [according to plan], we will start production with a capacity of up to 10,000 trucks and pickups per year. After the project is launched, 550 new jobs will be created, and additional tax revenues will also be ensured," said Akmal Karimov.
The company had previously announced the expansion of import-substituting production. For further development, a new plant is planned to be built in the Yangihayot district of Tashkent on an area of 10 hectares. The project is expected to localize production worth $15−18 million per year.
The enterprise also demonstrated the 155-mm To‘fon self-propelled artillery system with a 6×6 wheel configuration. It is designed for fire support of troops, counter-battery warfare, destruction of equipment and fortifications, as well as delivering precision strikes.
According to the presented technical specifications, the system weighs 27 tons, with a crew of four to six people. The vehicle is 11.7 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 3.8 meters high.
To‘fon is equipped with a 155-mm gun with a barrel length of 52 calibers and a combat load of 18 rounds. Depending on the type of ammunition used, the firing range is 41−50 km, and the rate of fire is six to seven rounds per minute. It takes about 30 seconds to bring the system into combat position.
The maximum speed of the vehicle is stated as 100 km/h, range is 600 km, and engine power is 335 hp. A GPS/INS satellite-inertial system is provided for fire control and navigation.
Photos published by the presidential press service and a story by Uzbekistan 24 TV channel also showed a modernized T-64 tank.
As the newspaper found, the vehicle is equipped with a 125-mm 2A46 gun with a barrel length of 6350 mm. The combat load is 37 shells, and the stated firing range is up to 10 km.
The modernized tank weighs 38.5 tons, with a crew of three. Its length is 6540 mm, width is 3415 mm, and height is 2170 mm. The range is stated as 500 km.
The tank's power plant has been modernized: the outdated 5-cylinder 5TDF engine has been replaced with a DP222LC engine manufactured by South Korea's Doosan Infracore, with a power of 950 hp.
This is a 12-cylinder V-shaped diesel engine with a displacement of 21.9 liters. After modernization, the tank's maximum speed is 50 km/h.
The presentation also indicated the thickness of the armor protection: 80 mm in one section, and combined protection of 80+105 mm in another.
Source: www.gazeta.uz