Amphibious vehicles have always garnered enough attention and there are already quite a few in the market today. It used to be for fun and small swims in the past, but amphibious vehicles now seem to have a bright future, thanks to companies like HighLand Systems which is building them for more than merry rides.

The Ukraine-based manufacturer has developed a mean-looking vehicle called Storm that is built as a “multi-role armored vehicle, designed for use in a wide range of specialist military and civil applications”. Now, if only we could have a zombie apocalypse so it could prove its mettle! Oh, wait. Did I say that out loud?

What’s Makes The Storm Special?

The Storm was unveiled at the IREX Defense Expo in Abu Dhabi. At the onset, it looks like it’s been taken straight out of a movie.

It measures 231.6 inches in length, 113.1 inches in width, and 92.9 inches in height. It is mighty heavy, as expected, and weighs over 17,500 pounds. The Storm can seat six people and has a payload capacity of up to 4,400 pounds.

The amphibious tank comes with a hybrid diesel powertrain that makes up to 2,500 horses. It can last between 18 and 36 hours before powering down. HighLand Systems has noted that the Storm can operate for 8.5 hours on generator mode. It has a top speed of 87 mph, which is quite impressive given its size and weight. On water, it hits a top speed of 18.6 mph.

HighLand Systems is developing a submersible model of the Storm as well. The Storm will also come with an autonomous system that can be controlled remotely. These are the future plans, but for now, even the standard version of Storm is some time away since it's still under development. What do you have to say about the HighLand Storm? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.