Russia Begins Mass Production of Typhoon-PVO Combat Vehicle

Russia’s Typhoon-PVO combat vehicle has completed state tests and entered mass production, according to Fanil Ziyatdinov, Director General of the Kupol plant.

“The Typhoon-PVO combat vehicle for MANPADS squads successfully completed state tests last year and is now moving into serial production,” Ziyatdinov was quoted by state media in an interview with National Defense magazine. “This will not only increase the plant’s capacity utilization but also enhance the mobility and protection of crews, providing significant benefits to our armed forces on the battlefield.”

The Typhoon-PVO is designed to support squads operating man-portable air defense systems. Its production marks a step forward in Russia’s efforts to boost force survivability and responsiveness in air defense operations.

Typhoon Program

In 2010, the Russian Defense Ministry approved a strategic plan to develop unified families of armored vehicles. The Typhoon series—including the modular KAMAZ-63968, Ural-63095, and single-volume Ural-63099—was first shown in June 2011 at the military's testing center near Moscow.

Designed primarily for troop transport, the Typhoon vehicles can also serve as platforms for self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery, UAV carriers, cranes, tow trucks, and other roles by adding specialized modules. The program's core goal is to unify all Russian wheeled armored vehicles under one platform.

Typhoon-PVO: Mobile Air Defense

Typhoon-PVO is intended to protect moving units from aerial threats, especially small FPV drones, which are fast, agile, and inexpensive. It can fire a machine gun while moving at up to 20 km/h. Its rotating roof turret mounts a Kord machine gun with a dedicated hatch, and a second hatch is provided for the MANPADS operator.

The five-person crew includes a commander, driver, machine gunner, and two anti-aircraft gunners. Inside, the vehicle houses MANPADS, launchers, power sources, radar interrogators, and machine gun ammunition. External cameras allow the crew to monitor surroundings without exposing themselves and control the vehicle without using the windshield if needed.

An HLF-100 air filtration system maintains positive pressure for CBRN protection. The vehicle carries nine Verba MANPADS, capable of intercepting airborne targets traveling up to 420 m/s, within a 500–6,000 m range and up to 3.5 km altitude.

Powered by a 350-hp engine, Typhoon-PVO reaches speeds of 100 km/h. It has an independent hydropneumatic suspension and automatic transmission. The bottom armor resists up to six kilograms of explosives, while ceramic and steel plating protect against 12.7 mm rounds. The vehicle’s mobility allows quick deployment of MANPADS units to firing positions.

According to reports, Typhoon-PVO has been used in Syria and in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

K4386 Typhoon-VDV

Russia may have begun trials of the K4386 Typhoon-VDV, a 4×4 armored vehicle developed for rapid, air-dropped deployment with troops onboard. Designed for airborne missions, it can withstand small arms fire and hard landings.

Drop test images emerged earlier this year. The Russian Ministry of Defense said in May that trials would begin “in the near future.”