Ukraine reinvents the Jeep with more than 300 Khyzhak buggies made from Soviet VAZ

Years ago, light vehicles like the famous Jeep and the Ford MUTT gave way to heavier vehicles like the Humvee and the JLTV.

V2X Tempest, the vehicle with Longbow missiles used by Ukraine to shoot down drones
Ford M151 MUTT, the almost forgotten successor to the Jeep Willys and predecessor to the Humvee

However, small and light vehicles are still necessary in military operations, especially in reconnaissance missions and airborne operations. This explains the reappearance of very light vehicles such as the US Marine Corps' M1161 Growler, which I already discussed here, the Spanish Army's Falcata mechanical mules and the LT-ATV Polaris MRZR D4, used by several NATO armies.

These vehicles share a common philosophy: very low weight, small size, and priority given to speed and mobility over protection, as they lack armor and in some cases barely resemble a body. They are vehicles that require little maintenance and have very low fuel consumption, and can carry a maximum of two to four fully equipped soldiers.

Following the Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces found themselves in need of these types of vehicles, not only to carry out various missions, but also to replace lost vehicles. In 2023, a volunteer initiative was launched that resulted in the Khyzhak buggy (Predator, in Ukrainian), often using engines and wheels from old Soviet VAZ 2121 off-road vehicles, also known as Lada Nivas.

"In almost 3 years, the team has already assembled and delivered more than 300 all-terrain and four-wheel-drive vehicles to military units. The buggies are constantly being improved and their production cost is decreasing; now, the project produces one vehicle per day," notes the Ukrainian website Militarnyi, which published a video this Friday showing how these rudimentary but effective vehicles are manufactured (the video is in Ukrainian; you can activate automatic English subtitles in the player's bottom bar):

These buggies are already being used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, special operations units, and even fire brigades. The vehicle has a folding panel at the rear that allows for carrying luggage and, when deployed, becomes a stretcher, enabling the evacuation of a wounded soldier. Furthermore, the Khyzhak buggies can be equipped with a machine gun mount, installed on top of the vehicle.

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Images: Militarnyi.