The Bars-8 is intended for law enforcement and paramilitary branches for the transportation of troops in hostile environments. Bars-8 multi-purpose armoured vehicle is a further development of the Bars-6 multi-role armoured utility vehicle. It is manufactured by Bogdan, a buses, trucks and specialised vehicles producer based in Ukraine.
The Bars-8 APC is based on the Dodge Ram vehicle, which has been developed within a short period of time, under conditions relating to the ongoing military action in eastern Ukraine, as the Ukrainian army is not fully equipped with the necessary equipment. It is 6.70m-long, 2.52m-wide and 2.47m-high, and has a wheel base of 3.67m. It can carry up to ten personnel, including three crew members. The driver and commander seats are placed in the protected crew cabin, while the soldiers are seated in the troop compartment at the rear. A forward view for the crew is provided through a two-piece windshield with bullet-resistant glass. Access to the crew compartment is enabled by two side doors, each fitted with a bulletproof glass window. The vehicle’s middle section is also equipped with two side doors to provide access to the weapon station.
Troops enter or leave the vehicle through the rear door, which features a small bulletproof window. Two bulletproof windows are provided on either side of the troop compartment to provide view of the outside environment.
The Bars-8 can also be equipped 6.7-liter turbodiesel Cummins engine, allowing a max speed of 100km/h. Consuming only 15 liters per 100 km, Bars’ tanker allows a max range of 600 km. The Bars-8 has 9 tons GVW.
The Bars-8 tactical vehicle is designed to offer up to STANAG 4569 Level 2 standard protection against bullet fires and mine blasts.
The reinforced exterior body panels of the vehicle protect the occupants from small arms firing and shell splinters.
Additional protection for the occupants is provided by roof-mounted smoke grenade launchers.
The vehicle is designed for use by the armed forces to transport armed personnel and cargo with increased all-round protection in hostile environmental conditions. It is also suited for a range of tactical mission tasks. With a ground clearance of 0.28m, it can move along deep wheel track and can climb grades of 60% and negotiate side slopes ranging from 20% to 40%.
The Bars-8 vehicle can be configured to perform different roles such as armoured personnel carrier (APC), tactical armoured mortar firing vehicle, APC with Iva (Willow) remote-controlled combat module, APC with Vij remote-controlled combat module, armoured ambulance vehicle, and APC with ground reconnaissance complex (Jab) and Enclave electronic jammer.
