Russia develops stealthy hybrid armored troop carrier

Russia's Military-Industrial Company has successfully developed and tested a diesel-electric hybrid, armored personnel carrier (APC) capable of silent running on batteries alone for short distances. Getting Cold War chills?

In Russia, they are serious about several things: they like their leaders to have a tough guy appearance, they prefer a dominating military, and they like agency names to be as literal as possible.

Their aptly-named Military-Industrial Company develops technology for their military, which is once more becoming one of the best in the world, lead by a fearless leader who often poses shirtless while riding bareback, fishing with his bare hands, or wrestling bears. One of the recent announcements and deliveries for military testing by the Military-Industrial Company is the Krymsk APC, named to honor the victims of flooding in a town of the same name last year.

The Krymsk APC is based on the tried-and-proven BTR-90 Rostok vehicle, but includes a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain. This improves fuel economy, of course, but also gives the heavy vehicle the ability to run without engine noise or exhaust for short distances (the exact distance is classified, but is probably only two or three miles) on batteries alone. This silent-running option gives it a stealth unmatched in the personnel carrier arena.

The Krymsk can run at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, accelerates to 80 km/h in 33 seconds, and can be equipped with a variety of weapons systems, including some highly advanced options like laser, electromagnetic, and sound weapons that require large amounts of power - which the diesel engine, working as a generator, and the large battery pack can supply.

What's more, the Krymsk is also built from the get-go as an out-of-the-box remote-controlled machine. This means it can be easily fitted to be operated from afar like a drone aircraft or by nearby troops as a support machine. It could also be used to scout fields of land mines, test roads for IEDs and roadside bombs, and do other things without putting troops in danger.

And no, the U.S. does not have anything like it that is currently being publicly field tested.