VAZ-2122 - "Niva" that can swim

The VAZ-2122 military vehicle, based on the VAZ-2121 Niva, is the first and only mass-produced amphibian in the history of the Volga Automobile Plant. It was intended primarily for transporting military groups and cargo (with the possibility of equipping it with small arms and ammunition), but in public documentation it is classified as a vehicle for fishermen and hunters. The beginning of this development, codenamed "River", was laid at the request of the USSR Ministry of War in the first half of the 1970s piese auto online.

VAZ-2122 - "Niva" that can swim

The main units are from the VAZ-2121, with the gearbox and transfer case hidden in a sealed bottom. The vehicle is capable of swimming through narrow, calm water bodies with moderate currents, overcoming water obstacles on the move, without any preliminary preparation. Starting the engine at temperatures of -40°C is carried out after warming up with a standard burner through a system of pipes with fuses located in the engine compartment. The car has a standard roll bar integrated into the structural frame of the body, and in addition to crash tests for frontal and rear impacts, it also successfully passes rollover tests. The body is equipped with an easily removable canvas roof (with soft plastic windows), which when folded is behind the rear seats.

Since the VAZ-2122 was intended for military use, all aspects in this regard were carefully considered, including: transportation by all types of transport - rail, water, road and air (An-12, An-22, Il-76T, Mi-6, Mi-8T), parachute landing, transportation of the wounded and storage of personal weapons (AK), winch, axe, shovel, filter-ventilation unit, night vision device, etc.

The VAZ-2122 underwent a full cycle of development and testing, was accepted by a state commission and recommended for production, for which a set of duly verified technical documentation was prepared. However, in 1988, work on the project was suspended. According to the official version, this decision was associated with changes in the military doctrine of the United States and the Soviet Union, according to which the general concept of floating military vehicles was already considered too outdated. Other sources claim that, as in many other cases, here, too, serial production was not implemented solely for financial reasons. Between 1976 and 1987, the VAZ-2122 was produced in 22 copies.

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The main units are from the VAZ-2121, with the gearbox and transfer case hidden in a sealed bottom

Since the VAZ-2122 was intended for military use, all aspects in this regard were carefully considered, including: transportation by all types of transport - rail, water, road and air (An-12, An-22, Il-76T, Mi-6, Mi-8T), parachute landing, transportation of the wounded and storage of personal weapons (AK), winch, axe, shovel, filter-ventilation unit, night vision device, etc