Russia Develops Machine Gun-Enabled Snowmobile Hybrid

Photo courtesy of YouTube screenshot. Click to enlarge.

A new Russian snowmobile and jeep hybrid developed for military use will be on public display in Moscow Wednesday.

According to Popular Mechanics, the TTM-1901 snowmobile – also known as the “Berkut” or Golden Eagle – will support Russian forces in arctic terrain through, “servicing and visual inspection of main pipelines, power transmission lines and communication links. It will also be used for guarding facilities and hunting.”

The TTM-1901 has a Lada engine that drives two tracks in the rear to a top speed of 37 mph, with a range of 124 miles. An enclosed heated cabin is built for two people, but can carry three or drag 600 pounds of cargo. A pintle mount also provides the ability to mount a 7.62-millimeter PKP Pecheneg  machine gun, capable of 650 rounds per minute, on the Golden Eagle.

Built by NPO Transport out of Nizhny Novgorod – a city east of Moscow – the snowmobile will star in Russia’s upcoming annual Victory in Europe Day parade on Wednesday, May 8, as Russia displays its new cold-weather weapons and vehicles.

Snowmobile developments for military use aren’t exactly new. Readers may recall an August 2015 Snow Goer article reporting on Russia developing snowmobiles that could be transported via helicopter, and deployed along with descending paratroopers. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has been allegedly developing a ‘secret, silent’ snowmobile for its own military.

If you were curious, here’s a video of the Golden Eagle in action:

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