Ukraine Is Using UTVs to Combat Russian Tanks

UTV Driver ^ | 13 May 2022 | Jackson Cooper

[CodeToad]

UTVs with antitank guided missiles have been a staple in the conflict.

The Drive reports that the Ukrainian military has been using UTVs, thought to be Polaris Rangers and Polaris MRZR Alphas, armed with Stugna-P antitank guided missiles to combat Russian tanks. These antitank guided missiles, or ATGMs, can be mounted on vehicles, shoulder fired, or launched from the ground.

There have been reports of Ukraine’s military using UTVs as far back as 2019, before the current conflict with Russia. Some of these have been seen with ATGMs mounted on them while others seem to just be used as transportation. The guided missiles have been extremely important for Ukraine in the war, and have been one of the most popular methods of combating Russian tanks, along with US-made Javelin missiles.

The missiles can be guided through a remote terminal or by a laser beam directed at the intended target. The weapon requires a crew of two to four people to operate, and can be used remotely up to 50 meters away.

Ukraine isn’t the only country to have used these vehicles—Polaris in 2020 signed a $109 million contract with the US Special Operations Forces to supply MRZR Alphas and Dagor A1s.

[CodeToad]

I am not advocating either side of the Ukraine/Russia conflict with this article. I build off-road vehicles as a hobby, and I have a project ongoing right now with a Polaris RZR Trails & Rocks edition.

I believe we are headed for hard times and a SxS (Side by Side UTV) is perhaps one of the most prolific off-road vehicles out there and might just be very useful. They can haul a load, go almost anywhere (you should see the mud buggies and snow machines!), and have been adapted for all kinds of military uses.

Here we see Ukraine adapting them to effectively mount and launch small missiles. These things are no doubt a shoot-n-scoot proposition and are probably very effective at evading return fire.

[CodeToad]

*ping*

[for-q-clinton]

A mini Halo Warthog.

[Berlin_Freeper]

After, they can hit the links.

[Big Red Badger]

Cool,
Been going to price one out soon as they are street legal here in NW Arizona!
What’s the Best Deal ?

[moovova]

Bkmk

[Steven Tyler]

Game. Changer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awEPrHTTMlA&list=PL6fJmjt84zZin57CW5qes8dX2MKs6_CGq&index=2

The Germans have the “Stormtrooper” aim

[SaxxonWoods]

Reminds me of that old TV show, Rat Patrol.

[PhiloBedo]

So that’s what 7+ billion of us taxpayer money will buy. I see they’ll even throw in a cushman motor scooter.

[Paal Gulli]

History repeats itself.

Back in the 80s, Chad beat back an invasion by (Soviet-supplied) Libyan armor using Toyota 4x4s equipped with French anti-tank missiles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_War

[CodeToad]

Best deal? Anything you can afford, really. They are all very good machines; Can-Am, Polaris, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, John Deere, etc.

Some a lumbering farm utility, some are high speed, some are rock crawlers, so pick the one that is made for your type of riding.

[Farmerbob]

Polaris Rangers and Polaris MRZR Alphas? Those things aren’t up-armored at all! Do the pandering politician know about this? /s

[CodeToad]

“Reminds me of that old TV show, Rat Patrol.”

Same here. It was what I was thinking: A Jeep for modern times.

[CodeToad]

“So that’s what 7+ billion of us taxpayer money will buy. I see they’ll even throw in a cushman motor scooter.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if all got one?

[Big Red Badger]

Thanks,
Some trails out here Won’t allow my F250!

[CodeToad]

Well, I guess we’ll have to send even more money into this money pit and but some uparmor...wait...we’ll just have to make new vehicles type at great expense. Then I’ll want one of those too!

[kjam22]

Polaris Rangers are awesome. I would caution…. If you have a glass windshield and shoot a nice rifle at something like a cyote on the passenger side of the vehicle…. While sitting in the vehicle…. Wear hearing protection. Holy cow….. i thought it deafened me permanently.

[CodeToad]

Trails. Important topic. Trails usually restrict vehicles to 50 inches wide, some less than that. So, if trail riding, you might need to buy a trail edition that is 50 inches or less. Many SxS are much wider than 50 inches. Most manufacturers make trail edition vehicles just for riding trails.

[Noumenon]

I don’t think that one of those ATGMs would fit on my Yamaha Grizzly 660.

[CodeToad]

“Wear hearing protection.”

lol. Thanks for that. I can only imagine the sound being captured by the windhields front and rear and echoing loudly!