Heller 49998 VAB

The VAB 4x4 is a modern French armored vehicle. The first prototypes were built in the early 1970s, and serial production began in 1974. To date, it has resulted in the creation of around 5,000 vehicles of this type. The drive is provided by a single motor Renault MDR o power of 255 hp. The armament depends on the version, but in the basic model it is a single 7.62 mm AA52 machine gun.

VAB 4x4 was created in response to the demand from the French armed forces in the early 1970s for a new, basic amphibious armored personnel carrier. VAB provides the possibility of transporting up to 10 landing soldiers, is characterized by a high maximum speed (over 100 km / h) and good mobility. According to the assumptions, it can overcome water obstacles without much preparation. The armor is made of armor plates that provide protection against small-caliber weapons and artillery fragments. In the course of production, the VAB was created on a four- and six-wheeled chassis (4x4 or 6x6). These versions were in turn modernized. As a result, several specialized versions of the VAB were created, for example: VAB MILAN and VAB ERYX (versions with anti-tank guided missiles), VAB RATAC (observation version for artillery units) or VAB Gene (engineering version). Vehicles of this type have been sold to many countries, including: Brunei, Chad, Cyprus, Morocco and Kuwait. VAB transporters also took part in many armed conflicts, mainly in the Gulf War of 1990-1991 or during the intervention in Afghanistan.