On the battlefield, in addition to tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, the role of light armored vehicles is indispensable
They act as reconnaissance, ambulance and command vehicles
In the field of light armored vehicles, the American Humvee and the Russian Tiger are well-known rivals
However, the appearance of the Nimr armored vehicle of the United Arab Emirates may make its opponents wary
The Nimr, meaning Tiger, is a family of all-terrain military armored personnel carrier vehicles
co-developed with GAZ and produced by Nimr LLC in the United Arab Emirates
The vehicle is designed specifically for military operations in the harsh desert climates found in the Middle East
Mass production began in 2005. So far, more than 1,700 vehicles have been delivered to the United Arab Emirates Army
The Nimr is built as a multi-purpose vehicle, in both 4x4 and 6x6 configurations
for a wide range of battlefield requirements, including combat management, close-in situational awareness, reconnaissance and surveillance
The vehicle has a combat weight of about 15-18 tons, depending on the configuration, a length of 6.45 m, a width of 2.58 m, and a height of 2.42 m
In a basic 6x6 configuration, the layout of the NIMR is fairly conventional
with the engine compartment at the front, the crew in the middle and the troop’s area at the rear
The vehicle is able to transport up to 10 fully equipped soldiers
The vehicle is fully armored to provide mine and ballistic protection as per customer requirements
with optional add on panel protection kit for additional protection
and is able to withstand ballistic threats as well as land mine and Improvised Explosive Device
attacks by means of specially designed add-on armor and land mine protection technology
In September 2012, Nimr Automotive has announced that it has been issued the prestigious 'STANAG 4569 Level 3' certification
by an independent testing authority for its newest vehicle, the Nimr 6x6 Armored Personnel Carrier
The vehicle can protect the crew from small arms fire, 7.62mm rounds, hand grenades
artillery shell fragments and small anti-personnel explosive devices
According to the manufacturer, NIMR is capable of performing well in temperatures ranging between -30°C and +55°C
The modular design allows the integration of modules to support different missions
The NIMR vehicles are equipped with electronics, electro-optics, power management and communication systems supplied by DRS Technologies
The platform can also be integrated with electronic countermeasures and stabilised overhead weapon systems
Optional equipment includes a winch, NBC system, GPS, ABS and a universal gun mount ring
The Nimr's mobility is provided by a Cummins ISBe300 turbo 6.7l six-cylinder diesel engine
coupled to the Allison S 3000 six-speed automatic transmission, delivers a power of 300hp
The vehicle has independent suspension, and can run at a maximum road speed of 135 km/h
with a maximum cruising range of 700 km at 100 km/h
The vehicle can negotiate a gradient of 60% maximum, a side slope of 30% and fording depth of 100 cm without preparation