100 million tons on truck
In modern warfare, the vast saturation of troops with equipment and the constant demand for ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and greater troop mobility make the automobile critically important. Through the years of the Great Patriotic War, military vehicles moved well over 100 million tons of cargo. By the summer of 1945, the Soviet armed forces fielded 645,000 vehicles. A third of these came through Lend-Lease, while about a tenth had been captured.
The centerpiece of the fleet was the GAZ-AA truck. An article on Soviet automobiles noted: On November 14, 1939, the millionth Soviet car rolled off the assembly line. In truck production, the country had long surpassed its European capitalist rivals and held a strong second place in the world.
In June 1941, the Red Army deployed 151,100 trucks designated as one-and-a-half tonners. Across 1941–1945, 138,600 GAZ-AA trucks were produced.
Major Srednov’s studies, titled Motorized Transport in Modern Warfare, focused mainly on Wehrmacht technology, but the conclusions carried broad implications beyond any single army.
Cars in uniform
Today’s military automotive fleet mirrors the strategic role seen in the 1940s. Warfare has grown more mobile, and the modern Russian armed forces operate with more than 410,000 military vehicles, outnumbering all other types of equipment in mass. MLRS systems are mounted on truck chassis, highlighting a trend toward highly mobile, rapidly deployable firepower. The long-standing workhorse command vehicle in recent years was the UAZ-3151, a modernized UAZ-469. It has been succeeded by the UAZ Patriot, while the GAZ-2330 Tiger represents a more expensive, heavier option.
The armored Tiger carries third-class ballistic protection and can reach speeds up to 140 km/h, earning the nickname Flying Fortress. Armored platforms like the GAZ-233014 Tiger support reconnaissance units, delivering both mobility and protection for small battlegroups. In 1940, Captain Serpionov described in Through Water Barriers the primary role of armored cars as reconnaissance, enabling rapid redeployments of cavalry, tank, and infantry units as conditions demanded. The core workload, however, remains transport—moving personnel, cargo, and essential supplies. Trucks underpin communications and logistics, delivering ammunition, fuel, and food, while medevac duties are handled by ambulances such as the Linza on a KAMAZ-43501 chassis (capable of carrying 15 wounded, nine on stretchers) or the Typhoon-K K-53949 armored chassis. In many cases, the standard army truck handles these tasks most often.
The Linza ambulance accommodates up to four wounded on stretchers or six seated in an armored capsule, ensuring flexibility in varied combat environments.
The most massive
The Russian fleet includes around four hundred car models and variants, combining modern innovations with long-standing workhorses. The GAZ-3308 Sadko, with a 2.5-ton payload, features four-wheel drive and available variants with both petrol and diesel engines. Introduced in 1997, it replaced the GAZ 66-40 in many roles, sharing structural chemistry with the GAZ-3309 cab. By January 2020, production had ceased, though many units remained in service.
The KAMAZ-4326, delivering 4 tons with permanent four-wheel drive, is powered by a KAMAZ 740 engine delivering 240 hp and peak torque of 912 Nm at 1100–1500 rpm. Commissioned in 1995, this chassis later formed the basis for the Dakar-winning KAMAZ-4326VK rally car, a testament to versatility and rugged engineering.
The Mustang family includes the KAMAZ-5350, produced since 2003, with a 6-ton load capacity, 6×6 wheels, and a 260-horsepower diesel. It can ford water up to 1.75 meters deep. The Urals-4320 offers a 7-ton payload on a 6×6 layout, powered by a YaMZ diesel engine delivering roughly 240 horsepower and 883 Nm of torque. In service since 1977, the 4320 has seen armored variants such as 4320-31. The Urals-5323, with an 8-wheel, 10-ton configuration, features a 300-hp diesel and a high-torque profile, and has been in government service since 1989, with procurement partnerships extending to NAMI and the Ural Automotive Plant beginning in the mid-1960s.
military drivers
Within the Russian armed forces, vehicle operation is organized under the Car Troops, reporting to the Main Armored Directorate of the Department of Defense (GABTU). In modern combined arms formations, roughly one-fifth of personnel are motorists. A military driver bears responsibility not only for the vehicle but also for the cargo or personnel being transported. Training pathways include the Omsk Armored Institute and seven civilian universities with military departments. DOSAAF units, under the Department of Defense, and Army training formations contribute to driver education. The history of soldiers and sergeants who became icons of the wheel is well documented. In 1940, Major Sobolev described the unpredictable realities of combat logistics, noting that drivers often carried ammunition directly to frontline needs, not just to supply depots. The observation remains valid in contemporary operations, where readiness and adaptability are essential.”