Photo: mil.in.ua
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen a slew of vehicles on its battlefields in the last 18 months since the invasion began. Armored war machines from as far back as World War II, often ripped right from museum display pieces, through to the present day have seen varying degrees of action on battlefields from Kyiv to Bakhmut and Kharkiv and everywhere in between. But of all of these, perhaps none is more rare or seemingly out of place than BMR VRAC. In all likelihood, it's the rarest military vehicle of any variety currently in Ukraine.
Well, first things first. What the heck even is this thing? Where does it come from, and how on Earth did it wind up in the middle of the most destructive European conflict since the Second World War? Well, the VRAC (Vehículo de Reconocimiento de Áreas Contaminadas) is a modification of the Spanish Pegaso 3560 BMR armored personnel carrier (APC) designed specifically to be a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical response and reconnaissance vehicle. First manufactured in 1979 by Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A. (ENASA), the 3560 BMR was born into a brave new world for the Spanish Military, one newly separated from its long-time dictator Francisco Franco.
This Spanish brute was powered at first by a Pegaso 9157/8 six-cylinder turbodiesel engine and has since upgraded to a 310-horsepower Scania DS9 diesel V6 for added reliability on the battlefield. In any number of configurations, from a tank destroyer with large-caliber cannons and guided missiles to mortar carriers and even an armored bulldozer/combat crane. The BMR is one of the most versatile armored vehicles to come out of Spain. As many as 1200 of these BMR APCs have been manufactured since its first deployment in the early 80s. In that time, it's served everywhere from Yugoslavia to Lebanon and even Afghanistan and Iraq.
But it's thought that of this production run, only three were ever manufactured in the VRAC variant. It isn't known how or why this obscure, unarmed recon vehicle made its way to Ukraine. Although it's logical to assume it's made its way to Eastern Europe via surplus auctions from one of the BMR's foreign operators like Egypt, Peru, Morocco, Mexico, or Saudi Arabia. It's also possible that the vehicle was presented to Ukraine as a part of a clandestine transfer of military equipment between Spain and Ukraine, able to fly under the radar as more lucrative and exciting arms deals between Ukraine and the U.S. garnered more media coverage.
Whatever the case, this ultra-rare armored vehicle is now serving alongside imported Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks, trucks carrying powerful HIMARS missiles shipped directly from NATO-aligned nations. Its contribution may be small. But in a war of attrition of this nature, every little bit counts.
This Spanish brute was powered at first by a Pegaso 9157/8 six-cylinder turbodiesel engine and has since upgraded to a 310-horsepower Scania DS9 diesel V6 for added reliability on the battlefield. In any number of configurations, from a tank destroyer with large-caliber cannons and guided missiles to mortar carriers and even an armored bulldozer/combat crane. The BMR is one of the most versatile armored vehicles to come out of Spain. As many as 1200 of these BMR APCs have been manufactured since its first deployment in the early 80s. In that time, it's served everywhere from Yugoslavia to Lebanon and even Afghanistan and Iraq.
But it's thought that of this production run, only three were ever manufactured in the VRAC variant. It isn't known how or why this obscure, unarmed recon vehicle made its way to Ukraine. Although it's logical to assume it's made its way to Eastern Europe via surplus auctions from one of the BMR's foreign operators like Egypt, Peru, Morocco, Mexico, or Saudi Arabia. It's also possible that the vehicle was presented to Ukraine as a part of a clandestine transfer of military equipment between Spain and Ukraine, able to fly under the radar as more lucrative and exciting arms deals between Ukraine and the U.S. garnered more media coverage.
Whatever the case, this ultra-rare armored vehicle is now serving alongside imported Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks, trucks carrying powerful HIMARS missiles shipped directly from NATO-aligned nations. Its contribution may be small. But in a war of attrition of this nature, every little bit counts.
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