Didgori

The Diggory Story

Due to the recent war with Russia in 2008, the Georgian state has a responsibility to develop a self-sufficient domestic military industry in order to be self-sufficient. This has led to locally produced products such as the "Didgori" armored personnel carrier (APC) - essentially a modern armored reconnaissance vehicle developed for service with the Georgian Army.

The model was built by the Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing Group and entered service in 2011.

8-ton truck with a barrel length of 5.75 meters, a width of 2.38 meters and a height of 2.2 meters. The standard operator consists of one crew member plus eight others (one of whom is usually the vehicle commander). Standard armament is a belt-driven 12.7mm gas-operated heavy machine gun or a 7.62mm Gatling-type micromachine gun (depending on service model) mounted on a shielded turret above the vehicle. The vehicle can also support the firing of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to counter armored threats from a distance (again, this depends on the model). Power comes from a 450-horsepower twin-turbo diesel engine.

The suspension is arranged in 4x4 on both axles, providing good ground clearance and off-road maneuverability. Armor protection for small arms fire and artillery jets. The road mileage is stipulated as 500 kilometers, and the maximum road speed reaches 120 kilometers per hour.

Didgori is based on the chassis of the Ford F-Series truck - a legendary medium to heavy duty civilian hauler available in several brands. The Didgori is aptly a militarized version of this line, modified for the rigors of military service and capable of carrying it in all types of terrain, operating temperatures and environments. Its hull is designed to withstand the blast effects of concealed explosive devices (IEDs) or mines (protection level up to STANAG 2). The hull is "V-shaped" in its overall design to divert some of the explosive force away from the vehicle's critical centreline - a quality that many existing mine-resistant vehicle designs demonstrate, especially those originating from South African production lines vehicle design.

Didgori's wheels themselves have a "disengage" feature to confine "explosive traps" during explosions. The sights use thick bulletproof glass for added protection. The spare tire is mounted on both sides of the fuselage.

Typical vehicle types such as Didgori, the system plays several roles in the Georgian army - armored personnel carrier (APC), armored reconnaissance or general support. Three major versions have been seen incorporating the original didgori model for standard APC. This comes with a 450 hp motor and carries a 12.7mm HMG. Didgori-2 performs a reconnaissance mission and carries a minigun weapon.

Didgori-3 is also an APC version, but with higher survivability, and a third axle for two extra wheels for better ground displacement.

Over 50 Didgori vehicles are known to be in service with the Georgian Army.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon.

Changes