March 1, 2015:
A Russian vehicle manufacturer has come up with a new variation on the American HMMWV (Humvee) in the form of a 4.5 ton vehicle that seats ten (two facing forward, six facing outward and two facing rear). This is a light armored vehicle and the crew and passengers can see out the armored windows. While it looks like a longer hummer it is based on the Kamaz 4x4 truck. There are also at least four vidcams tp ensure there are no blind spots when just the driver is in the vehicle.
This vehicle may have design features to provide some protection against mine and roadside bombs and that would make it useful for para-military operations. If the seats behind the driver were easily removable it could be used for moving cargo and the addition of an RWS (remote weapons system) would provide plenty of firepower for patrols.
Meanwhile since 2005 another Russian firm has been producing a vehicle remarkably similar to the armored version of the U.S. HMMWV "hummer" (the M1114 model) called Tigr (Tiger). The major buyer has been the Russian Interior Ministry, for its police and paramilitary units. Chechnya was a particularly popular destination for this new vehicle. It is based on the hummer-like vehicle, the Gaz-2330. Like the M1114, the Tigr weighs five tons, carries a crew of four, and a load of about a ton (or an additional five men, if configured for that). The Tigr costs $88,000 each, compared to $145,000 for the M1114, and is being offered as a less expensive alternative to the M1114.