This strange-looking beast is called the Punisher and it is reportedly Russia’s->ke2716 next lightweight troop carrier. Capable of hauling 10 personnel, including the driver, and being mine- and bullet-resistant, the new truck->ke1311 offers the Russian army the ability to move quickly across the battlefield. While there is conflicting information on its specifics, The Moscow Times reports the Punisher is based on the Russian automaker ZiL’s Kamaz-4911 truck->ke1311 and is powered by an eight-cylinder turbo-diesel that makes 730 horsepower.

The Punisher is capable of withstanding small arms fire up to 7.62 mm, roughly 30 caliber, and what you’d find coming from the business end of an AK-47. Despite this, the large greenhouse allows for an expansive view of the outside terrain.

The truck is equipped with gullwing-style doors, giving troops a a clear step into the tall cab. Side swinging rear doors allow troops to return fire from inside the Punisher. All that armor adds literal tons to the truck, resulting in a 26,000-pound curb weight. Despite this, the Punisher is able to hit a top speed of 93 mph, making it the fastest armored troop carrier in the world.

The truck utilizes a body-on-frame design with traditional leaf springs holding the massive solid axles in place. The rear axle appears to be a Rockwell-type design while the front uses the more conventional approach. This results in a high break-over angle on the vehicle’s center.

No clear word identifies if or when the Punisher will go into production and see service.

Click past the jump to read more about the ZiL Punisher.

2015 ZiL Punisher Is Russia's newest Troop Carrier

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 ZiL Punisher Is Russia's newest Troop Carrier
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 730
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The outward appearance the Punisher exudes perfectly fits its name. The menacing grille looks ready to shred opposing vehicles, its tall ground clearance and wide shoulders give off an intimidating presence, and the sloped front seems ready to take an onslaught of enemy fire.

The sides of the vehicle serve a dual purpose. They act as the doors and as steps to get into the cabin. The rear of the vehicle gets a similar treatment, though the doors swing sideways with a downward-folding portion acts as stairs. It honestly reminds me of a Lego set I had growing up.

Interior

Ironically, things inside the Punisher seem to keep the unforgiving theme going. All 10 occupants sit on what looks like some trendy 1960s office chairs while the remaining décor is rather spartan. The dashboard is all business with two tiers for controls. A large monitor and two smaller ones take up the center console. Another small screen lives in the driver’s gauge cluster.

The Punisher makes use of a manual transmission with a shifter that seems more appropriate for a tractor. A small bank of switches is placed within reach of the driver’s right hand. The driver also makes use of the eight analog gauges in the main cluster.

Drivetrain

Powering this beast is a large turbodiesel engine. ZiL isn’t sharing many of the details about displacement and cylinder configuration, but we do know it makes 730 horsepower. That’s impressive for a diesel. We can also expect high torque numbers to match, perhaps hovering around 1,000 pound-feet. The Punisher features a huge Rockwell rear axle with a manual transfer case sending power to the front axle. Large knobby tires help push the 26,000-pound truck over obstacles The heavy-duty axles are held in place and sprung by giant leaf springs. They offer reliability and heavy load-carrying abilities.

Prices

There is no word on how much the Punisher costs, but we can assume it’s expensive. A rough educated guess would put the price tag close to $600,000 with all the armoring, huge tires, and powerful diesel engine.

Competition

Oshkosh Defense L-ATV

The L-ATV is one of the contenders in the fight to replace the Humvee. It combines high levels of mine and small arms resistance with strong all terrain ability. It has a fully independent suspension system with 20 inches of wheel travel. The truck is powered by a hybrid diesel electric powertrain that also acts as a generator for powering external equipment.

M1117 Guardian

The Guardian is a heavily armored vehicle mostly used by Army MPs, or military police. It features relatively small windows for even greater protection from heavy firepower and extra wide tires to accommodate the additional weight. Power comes from a 8.3-liter Cummins turbo-diesel making 260 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. Despite the power, the Guardian takes seven seconds to hit 20 mph and has a top speed of 70 mph.

The asking price for a Guardian is roughly $700,000, which is considerably more than the Humvee, but less than its larger competitors.

Conclusion

The Punisher is one bad military vehicle. It seems to offer the best of both worlds between being a lightweight troop carrier and a heavily armored tank. What’s more is its ability to traverse unforgiving terrain and blast down smooth roads at speeds exceeding 90 mph.