GAZ-34039 Irbis

The GAZ-34039 Irbis (snow leopard) is a Russian tracked amphibious snow and swamp vehicle built by the GAZ Group for carrying people and cargo outside public roads in severe terrain and climate. It takes the platform of the GAZ-34039 but carries a very different superstructure, a plastic cab taken from an ekranoplan design by Buran-Styling. The driver seat and instruments were improved, the view widened and the engine placed under a cover inside the cabin to ease winter servicing. It was first shown at the Defence and Protection 2010 exhibition in Nizhny Tagil, and series production began in 2011 according to Wikipedia, while a 2021 article dates it from 2009. It carries up to 2 tonnes, seats 12 including the driver and is rated for temperatures from minus 50 to plus 40 degrees Celsius. Early reviewers criticised the lifting side door and the tank-style steering levers.