Formula Student, an engineering competition for students, has been held in Europe for more than two decades. This is a kind of student analog of «Formula 1». The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) had its own Formula Student team, which created cars and represented Ukraine in these competitions for several seasons. However, with the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the KPI team switched to developing robots for evacuating the wounded and modernizing armored vehicles.
Artem Yushchuk, one of the team’s technical specialists, is developing an armored vehicle for the Defense Forces. Last year, his company Inguar Defense attracted investment and produced a prototype armored vehicle whose level of protection exceeds the existing Ukrainian «Cossacks» and «Innovators».
Artem had experience in repairing and maintaining armored vehicles, and he also communicated with representatives of the National Guard to find out their requirements for an armored vehicle. All this allowed him to design and build the Inguar3 armored vehicle.
The Inguar3 has its own chassis, which is capable of maintaining STANAG 3 protection, meaning it can withstand hits from 7.62mm armor-piercing bullets, fragments from a 155mm shell, and an anti-tank mine. The vehicle has a ground clearance of 45 cm, which ensures high cross-country ability. The vehicle also has a differential lock to facilitate the passage of difficult obstacles. The vehicle is equipped with a tire inflation system that allows them to be partially deflated to cross marshland. The tires are internally reinforced with run-flat technology, which allows the vehicle to move even after wheel damage.
The cabin is equipped with mine-resistant seats, fire extinguishing and air filtration systems in case of a chemical attack. The vehicle can be equipped with an electronic warfare (EW) system to protect it from FPV drones. Additionally, the developers have installed a «smart» control and fuse system that helps to properly control the vehicle and avoid breakdowns due to driver misconduct. In addition to the main components and armor steel, the vehicle is to be assembled from scratch in Ukraine.
The project required $350,000 in funding. $300,000 was invested by Ukrainian crypto businessman Mykola Udiansky. He has a 20% stake in Inguar Defense. Another 10% went to Oleksandr Vovolka, who also invested in the development and is now in charge of the company’s foreign economic contracts. The remaining 70% belong to Yushchuk. The shareholders signed an agreement under which they undertake to spend the company’s profits only on investments for 5 years. Subsequently, the cost of design and testing increased by another $350 thousand.
It is expected that in mass production, one Inguar3 armored vehicle will cost UAH 16 million. For comparison, competitive vehicles of the «Kozak» and «Novator» series cost UAH 9-12 million. With a limited budget, the Defense Forces tend to buy «more» than «more technologically advanced». However, Inguar Defense argues that the higher costs are justified due to the significantly higher security and technological capabilities of the vehicle. As early as 2024, the company is expected to be ready to receive its first production contract.
In the future, it is planned to obtain a STANAG 3 quality certificate from NATO. For this procedure, the machine must be exported abroad, but the rules do not allow it. The company hopes to deploy licensed assembly of the Inguar3 abroad. Two Western companies have already expressed interest in it. If everything goes well, this Ukrainian development can not only receive a NATO certificate but also enter the international market.
Source: Economic Truth