Ukraine Nears Completion of New Inguar-2 Armored Vehicle Development

Ukraine is developing a new Inguar-2 armored vehicle, with the project now in its final stage.

Artem Yushchuk, CEO of Inguar Defence, told Militarnyi more about the vehicle. He said the company is already producing the first pilot batch, as most of the design solutions have previously been tested on the Inguar-3. All vehicles in the first batch have already been sold to a military unit. The customer will receive special support terms, including free upgrades if any issues are identified during operation.

“For us as a manufacturer, this will allow us to complete combat testing much faster and validate the design before moving to series production, which is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027,” Artem Yushchuk said.

The new model was developed in response to the experience of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has highlighted the need for faster and more maneuverable armored vehicles.

The new vehicle will feature a domestically produced chassis, with a localization rate in Ukraine of 65%. This will include the suspension and part of the drivetrain. The company emphasizes that this is the maximum achievable level of localization, as manufacturing the engine, transmission, and electronics in Ukraine will not be feasible in the coming years.

The Inguar-2 has a gross weight of 8.5 tonnes and provides ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 2. This includes protection against 7.62×39 mm rounds, shell fragments, and the detonation of 6 kg of explosives beneath the vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with independent suspension, portal axles with hub reduction gears, locking differentials on all axles, and a central tire inflation system, with a ground clearance of 460 mm.

Particular attention was paid to the suspension and the company’s own shock absorbers, which are designed to prevent overheating during high-speed off-road driving. The armored vehicle is equipped with nitrogen-charged monotube shock absorbers with separate remote reservoirs.

The vehicle is powered by a Cummins 6.7 engine paired with a ZF automatic transmission. The armored vehicle’s maximum speed will be electronically limited to 160 km/h.

The Inguar-2’s electrical system will use a minimum amount of electronics to simplify maintenance. Components such as the wheels, gearboxes, and electronic components are interchangeable with those used on the Inguar-3.

The estimated price of the Inguar-2 will start at $350,000. The lower cost has been achieved through increased localization and optimization of production costs, without cutting corners on key components such as the engine or transmission.

The manufacturer is also working on integrating modern counter-drone systems designed to improve the vehicle’s survivability on the battlefield.

“We dream of making an active protection system the vehicle’s next major feature, and we are actively working on that. It is a very challenging task, but at least we are putting all our efforts to protect our vehicles from FPV drones,” Artem Yushchuk said.