Medical evacuation vehicles are crucial in an armed conflict. They must be quick and powerful, capable off-road, and offer good protection from small-arms fire. Ukraine obviously needs many of these kinds of vehicles, and during the second half of this year, the soldiers of Ukraine received 13 field ambulances based on the Canadian armoured vehicle Terradyne Gurkha.
Terradyne Armored Vehicles Gurkha (Terradyne Gurkha for short) is an armoured light 4×4 vehicle made in Ontario. It is based on a Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis and has its own engine and interior. It’s been in production since 2006 and is used in many countries worldwide, usually for law enforcement duties.
The Terradyne Gurkha is a real multi-purpose vehicle. It can serve as an armoured platform for valuable deliveries, border protection, crowd control vehicles, and many other different duties. A few Gurkhas are also in civilian hands.
Under the bonnet of the Terradyne Gurkha is a 6.7-litre V8 turbo diesel engine, pushing out 250 kW of power and 750 Nm of torque. Of course, it is taken straight from the Ford lineup, which is good for countries like Ukraine because it makes procurement of spare parts that much easier. It spins all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Gurkha can reach a maximum speed of around 128 km/h. It is also good off-road thanks to its locking differentials.
The Terradyne Gurkha meets NATO STANAG 4569 Level II protection standards. This means that it offers good protection from small arms fire and decent protection from landmines. Of course, one could wish for better armour, but the weight of such vehicles is important. The Terradyne Gurkha weighs under 9 tonnes.
Essentially, the Terradyne Gurkha is just a truck, which makes it easy to control and service. Depending on the configuration, the Gurkha can carry up to 12 passengers and two crew members. Of course, the ones that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will now operate are set up for medevac missions and will not be directly involved in combat.
It is important to note that 13 of the Terradyne Gurkha for Ukraine were crowdfunded. “Armoured ambulances will be able to operate even more efficiently, evacuating the wounded from the hottest points of the front. In general, the number of such vehicles worldwide is minimal, so they had to be custom-made to order,” said the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko.
There is space at the back of the Ukrainian Gurkha for a couple of wounded troops. It is not said that these vehicles carry other equipment, but obviously, first aid for combat trauma is the core of this type of machine’s duties.
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