Armored Cars: Remdiesel K4386 Typhoon-VDV

The Typhoon-VDV is a recent spinoff from the family of wheeled APCs developed by truck manufacturer Kamaz and Remdiesel. In 2015 Russia’s airborne branch wanted a bespoke armored car that can be airdropped from an Il-76 transport. Their solution was to take the heavier Kamaz 53949 Typhoon, shave off some of its weight, and install a remote weapon station on the roof. The Resulting Typhoon-VDV was first shown to the public in 2016 and it’s still undergoing trials. A Typhoon-VDV is meant for transporting a squad of paratroopers and provide covering fire to help them secure an objective.

If the BMD-4M serves as the VDV’s “light tank,” with the BTR-MD Rakushka an armored personnel carrier, the Typhoon-VDV is the equivalent of an infantry fighting vehicle.

Although its layout is familiar there are numerous external tweaks on the Typhoon-VDV. Its dimensions are smaller and specific changes were made to satisfy the VDV’s requirements. On either side of the cabin, for example, are folding racks for tying down extra gear. The fuel tanks are located outside the hull and exposed; a safety measure to prevent the vehicle’s interior from getting “cooked” when the fuel is ignited by gunfire. The separate panels at the back of the Typhoon-VDV contain trenching tools and serve as stowage bins. The Typhoon-VDV’s performance characteristics haven’t been published yet but these are probably the same as its sibling.

What is known, however, is the Typhoon-VDV uses hydro-pneumatic suspension and the arrangement of its vehicle exhaust–it extends to the roof above the cab–allows it to wade across rivers and streams with relative ease. Cameras above the windshield and on the main armament’s digital sights allow the crew better situational awareness. The extent of its ballistic protection is vague as well, but the thickness of its windows suggest STANAG II resistance while the hull armor is STANAG I.

The Typhoon-VDV has seating for eight occupants including the driver and co-driver. A control station for the main armament–a 30mm 2A42 cannon paired with a 7.62x54mm machine gun–is oriented left of the passenger compartment behind the cab. To enhance its combat role, each rectangular window on either side of the Typhoon-VDV has a circular firing port. There’s also a cache of disposable single-shot rocket launchers are kept in a small enclosure beneath the seats in case the occupants have to fight tanks. The rear swing door for entering the passenger compartment is flanked by rectangular stowage cabinets that work as shields.

During the recent ARMY 2018 arms show in Kubinka three new variants of the Typhoon-VDV were unveiled at the outdoor exhibit. These were a troop carrier without a roof turret that seated 10 passengers; a missile-armed tank destroyer with two cells of Kornet-EM’s on retractable masts; and finally an ambulance with enough internal space for two beds. Since the Typhoon-VDV hasn’t entered service yet it’s unclear if it will ever be made available for export.