New vehicles for Arctic troops to be authorized for service by year-end

New tracked and wheeled vehicles tested in rigorous Arctic conditions last winter will be authorized for service by the end of the year, Deputy Defence Minister Dmitry Bulgakov told TASS on Thursday.

"The designers and manufacturers have eliminated all flaws and glitches identified during testing in the field in the Arctic. Some vehicles have been authorized for service and schedules of their deliveries to the army have been drawn up. All fifteen types of tracked and wheeled vehicles for Arctic troops will enter duty by the end of this year.

Bulgakov refrained from mentioning any specific models, adding that on the list there were special snow and swamp-going vehicles, military tracked vehicles, military snowmobiles, including those equipped with a cabin and sledges, articulated tracked personnel carriers and multi-purpose wheeled vehicles.

For the newly-developed Arctic vehicles there have been created new types of fuels and lubricants capable of ensuring their reliable operation in extremely low temperatures.

"With the fuels and lubricants that we have the engines will start instantly and show stable performance at temperatures close to 70 degrees below freezing," Bulgakov said.