When it comes to moving through unforgiving terrains, no one knows better than the Russians. The Russian has oversaw the birth of a myriad of ATVs, or all-terrain vehicles, like the Sherp ATV, Avtoros Shaman 8×8 ATV, an even a buoyant bike, the Taurus 2×2 all-terrain motorcycle, and today, we found yet another impressive example called DT-30PM. The DT-30PM Amphibious All-terrain Tracked Carrier Vehicle is the modernized version of the original DT-30 first introduced in 1982. It is a multipurpose carrier developed and built by Russian company Vityaz.
DT-30PM (and its other variants) shares the same principle as the older, Swedish Bandvagn 206 (AKA BV206) which is articulated two-carriage tracked vehicle. The DT-30PM is designed to transport personnel and cargo over the most unforgiving terrains imaginable under any climate condition. It can, obviously, acclimatized as a military vehicle with a variety of weapons, armor and military hardware. Like the BV206, the front unit is the cabin where driver plus four others are seated, and it is also the unit where the drivetrain can be found.
The highlight of this vehicle is, of course, its ability to traverse across virtually any terrain thrown at it. Thanks to its low ground pressure, it is capable rolling across soft terrain, including swaps, salt marshes, shifting sands, wetlands, muddied roads and more, and best of all, it can tackle obstacles and water body, full-loaded, without the need for preliminary preparation. Now, a little bit more on the build. The two carriages is outfitted with active tracked running gears as a single entity and the units are constructed of watertight monocoque hulls.
It has independent torsion bar suspension and it rolls on rubberized fabric belt-type tracks with metal grousers. Under the skin, it has a 800 HP liquid-cooled turbocharged diesel motor, hooked up to a hydromechanical transmission. It is a beast in terms of both build and drivetrain. That being said, if the BV206 is a chihuahua, then the DT-30PM would be a Great Dane. This thing really is a beast. It has a curb weight of 29+ tons and has a payload of, wait for it… 30-freaking-ton! Despite its heft, the diesel motor enables it a respectable road speed of 45 km/h (about 28 mph) and it can swim at a briskly pace of 5 km/h (3 mph), and go for up to 700 km (435 miles) before needing refueling.
Performance-wise, it is able to take on up to 32-deg of incline (15-deg side incline), tackles 1.2 meter (3.93 feet) obstacle, and stride over trenches of up to 4.5 meters (14.7 feet) width. With these qualities, the Vityaz DT-30PM Amphibious All-terrain Tracked Carrier Vehicle makes for a capable military vehicle, as well as a perfect vehicle for fire fighting and rescue operations. Check out the video of it in action as a fire fighter/rescue vehicle.
