In a significant move to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, TECNOVE has successfully adapted two BMR 6×6 armored vehicles acquired by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, AECID). These vehicles, to be donated by the Spanish government to Ukraine, are intended to facilitate the care and evacuation of patients in crisis situations. On Monday, January 8th, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, visited TECNOVE’s facilities in Herencia to witness firsthand the outcomes of this project. Accompanied by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, TECNOVE’s President, Eusebio Ramírez, and the Mayor of Herencia, Sergio García-Navas, among other dignitaries, Albares emphasized the significance of these armored ambulances in Spain’s comprehensive support for Ukraine.
The armored ambulances, requested by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmitró Kuleba, are a response to a plea for humanitarian aid. These specialized vehicles will be dispatched to Ukraine as part of an organized transport, co-financed with the European Commission through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Beyond providing security through their armor, these transformed vehicles retain the original structure of the BMR, allowing for effective deployment as advanced life support ambulances. Equipped with advanced medical technology, these ambulances feature oxygen supplies, immobilization equipment, cardio-respiratory monitors, defibrillators, CPR boards, splints, neck braces, and more. TECNOVE takes pride in contributing to this vital humanitarian initiative by providing vehicles that will play a crucial role in the care and evacuation of patients during emergencies and conflicts.
The Spanish Army BMRs (or BMR-600) converted into an ambulance by TECNOVE. The BMRs have been instrumental in the performance of Spanish forces in international interventions in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. The vehicles were fitted with additional passive armour and an air conditioning unit. The Pegaso 3560 BMR (Spanish acronym of “Blindado Medio sobre Ruedas”, “Medium Armored on Wheels”) is a 6×6 wheeled armoured personnel carrier produced in Spain by Enasa since 1979. Originally powered by a Pegaso 9157/8 306 hp diesel engine, it has an automatic gearbox, torque converter, independent suspension in all six wheels and amphibious capability. It can also be transported by air. It has received different kind of weapons throughout its life and there is also a field ambulance version. As part of its optional amphibious equipment, it has two hydrojets for travel through water. Pegaso BMRs are used by Spanish, Egyptian, Saudi Arabian, Moroccan and Peruvian Armies.
