Russia's counterpart to the great American Hummer has arrived in the form of the GAZ VPK Strela. The vehicle was showcased at the seventh International Military-technical forum that was held in Russia between 22-28th of August.

Russia and the United States have traditionally been on opposing sides. The two global superpowers have clashed on numerous occasions throughout history, and it appears that a new "battle" has now begun with the debut of the VPK Strela, also known as the Russian Hummer if you’d like.

The body is in fact based on Gazelle Next cab. The guys at GAZ decided to produce a civilian version for individual customers who also intend to get their hands on one. It was designed by the Military Industrial Company or MIC along with inputs from the Design Bureau of Youth KBM at the Moscow State Technical University.

Although there aren’t many details, the Strela claims to be 200” long and 92.5” wide with a track width of 75”. It weighs roughly 7716 pounds and can haul 1984 pounds of freight, as well as transport five people in absolute comfort, seated in their own individual chairs. I say comfort, because this boxy SUV, which clearly draws styling cues from the Hummer H1 & Hummer H2, packs independent front suspension along with a solid rear axle.

The Strela, unlike the upcoming 2022 GMC Hummer though, doesn’t use an electric powertrain. Instead, it is powered by a 2.8-liter four-cylinder Cummins diesel engine that only produces 149 horsepower. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, which distributes torque to all four wheels. It has a TopSpeed of 75 mph.

There still isn’t enough information on when exactly will the Strela go into production, let alone the cost. The unarmored Strela will eventually replace the long in the tooth UAZ-469, which has been in service with the Russian Army since 1972. This civilian model is in place to increase MIC’s overall sales of the Strela.

Source: Military Industrial Company

Check out the Strela in action below