Ukraine Contracts Hundreds of Novator Armored Vehicles

Ukrainian Armor will produce 50% more Novator armored vehicles than last year, with the possibility of even greater increases by the end of the year.

The company’s director Vladyslav Belbas told Espreso.TV.

“It was challenging at the beginning of this year, as the promised three-year contracts were not funded. However, as of now, the Defense Procurement Agency has successfully caught up with the contracting process. We have already secured more than 1.5 times the volume of orders compared to last year,” said Belbas, reflecting on the current status of Novator armored vehicle orders.

He added that his company aimed to double the number of armored vehicles produced compared to the year before. However, how many vehicles are we talking about?

In an interview with Militarnyi last year, Vladyslav Belbas said that as of August, his company had already delivered more than a hundred armored vehicles to the Defense Forces with the intention of completing the year with several hundred Novator vehicles.

“This year, we plan to produce several hundred vehicles – more than in the previous five years combined. We’ve achieved this pace thanks to proper production planning,” he said. “If I had orders for next year already, and they were on par with what we currently have, I could easily increase production volumes two to three times.”

According to these words, this year’s state order for armored vehicles from Ukrainian Armor was to reach at least 300 units by the end of the year. These could be basic versions, their 10-seat Novator 2 modification, or specialized versions such as the recently introduced command and control and ambulance vehicles.

However, it is definitely not about contracting the latest VARTA 2 armored vehicles, the first prototype of which was shown last year. Back then, Militarnyi managed to exclusively test drive and review it.

“As for the Varta 2, the matter is on our end, as we are still refining the vehicle and haven’t completed the testing yet. It’s a complex product. At the same time, our customers are urging us to deliver it as quickly as possible. I’m hopeful that by March, we will finalize the tests and certify the vehicle for delivery,” said Belbas.

In October, the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine received a supply of domestic Novator-2 armored vehicles.

“It takes to the assault, covers with Browning, and quickly evacuates from the battle. The newest Ukrainian armored vehicle of the second generation, Novator-2, has incorporated the best solutions for fast and safe movement to the battlefield,” the Brigade wrote.

The Azov soldiers reported that during a combat mission, an onboard electronic jamming station had redirected an enemy drone, and the armored hull had withstood a nearby explosion, allowing the vehicle to continue moving.