The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has approved a new medical armored vehicle, Kozak-5MED, for operation in the Armed Forces, according to Militarnyi.
The ministry explained that the armored vehicle evacuates wounded and injured Ukrainian military personnel from the battlefield. The “Kozak-5MED” is based on an American heavy pickup truck, Ford F-550 chassis.
It can transport four people lying down, has six seats, and extra places for a driver and a medical evacuation team. A vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine and an automatic transmission.
The medical vehicle’s armor provides protection for the crew and passengers from fragments and bullets up to 7.62 mm caliber. Additionally, the vehicle’s underbody has reinforced protection and can withstand explosions equivalent to six kg of TNT.
The “Kozak-5” was initially developed by Praktyka for the needs of police and special operations units like the Rapid Operational Response Unit.
An armored vehicle was first presented at the International Specialized Exhibition “Arms and Security – 2016” in the reconnaissance and transport modifications category.
Currently, the medical personnel of Ukraine’s Defense Forces use various vehicles for evacuation depending on the situation.
Among them are Soviet-era tracked MT-LB vehicles modified for medical needs, British FV104 Samaritan, specialized “Bogdan” pickups, American HMMWV M1152, and various brands of ATVs.
This year, the Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer “Praktyka” first presented its lightweight tactical armored vehicle “Dzura.”
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