The UAZ-469 is an

off-road Off-roading is the act of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, dirt, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, or other natural terrain. Off-roading ranges from casual drives with regular vehicles to competitive events w ...

military light utility vehicle Military light utility vehicle, or simply light utility vehicle (LUV), is a term used for the lightest weight class military vehicle category. A Jeep (disambiguation)#Jeep-like vehicles, Jeep-like four-wheel drive vehicle for military use by defin ...

manufactured by UAZ since 1971. It was used by

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and other

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

armed forces, as well as

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

units in

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

countries. In the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, it also saw widespread service in state organizations that needed a robust and durable off-road vehicle. Standard military versions included seating for seven personnel.

History

Using the same chassis as the

GAZ-69 The GAZ-69 is a Soviet four-wheel drive off-road vehicle produced by GAZ (ГАЗ, or ''Gorkovsky Avtomobilnyi Zavod'', Gorky Automobile Factory) between 1953 and 1956 and then by UAZ between 1956 and 1972, though all of these light truck class ...

but with a new body, the UAZ-469 was introduced in 1971 to replace the GAZ-69. It is powered by the same UMZ-452MI

inline-four engine A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout ( ...

as the

UAZ-452 The UAZ-452 is a family of four wheel drive off-road vans and light trucks with body-on-frame construction and cab over engine design, built by the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ) since 1965. Originally designed for the Soviet Armed Forces, ...

and is able to run on gasoline with an

octane rating An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a liquid fuel, fuel's ability to withstand Compression ratio, compression in an internal combustion engine without causing engine knocking. The higher the octane number, the more compres ...

as low as 72 (although 76 was preferred). This engine was used in a variety of Soviet vehicles, including the GAZ-21 Volga passenger car. The UAZ-469 presented two great advantages: it was able to drive in virtually any terrain and it was very easy to repair. The vehicle was originally not available for purchase by the public, but many were sold as surplus to private owners. Modifications include a basic UAZ-469B with

ground clearance Ride height or ground clearance is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the lowest point of the automobile, typically the bottom exterior of the differential housing (even though the lower shock mounting point may be l ...

of , and a specialized military UAZ-469, with ground clearance increased to . After slight modernisation in 1985, due to new industry designation standards, they were renamed: the UAZ-469 became the UAZ-3151, while the UAZ-469B became the UAZ-31512. Manufacture of the UAZ-31512 for the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

continued until 2011, while manufacture for the civilian market was discontinued due to new

emission standards Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources ov ...

. However, the currently manufactured UAZ Hunter is an updated version of the old UAZ-469B. The Hunter was originally sold in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and some

Asian countries This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes sovereign state, fully recognized states, states with limited but substantial international recognition, ''de facto'' states with little or no international recogn ...

as the "UAZ Tigr" (Tiger), until

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

complained that the name was too similar to the Opel Tigra, and in Germany, it was renamed " Baijah Taigah".Thompson, p.333 caption. The UAZ-469 was exported to eighty countries, and between 1.65 to 2 million units of the vehicle and its variants were produced.

Major versions

UAZ-469B – a "civilian" version of the UAZ-469. In this version, the ground clearance is 220 mm and the drive axles use a single-stage main gear without the final drive. The UAZ-469B was available with a contact or contactless (on later models) electronic ignition system. Its PTO shafts are slightly longer than the shafts of the UAZ-469 vehicle. The cabin is open and came with a detachable canvas roof; a hard-top roof made of metal or fiberglass could be purchased as an accessory. The 2.4-litre engine is paired with a four-speed transmission. In

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, a special package called Vallarta Kit, named after the beach resort of

Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican resort city near the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of the Mexico, Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara ...

, was released featuring a winch, steering assembly and gearbox reinforcement, snorkel, suspension kit and LED headlights, among other extras. A police

patrol car A police car is an emergency vehicle used by police for transportation during patrols and responses to calls for service. Police cars are used by police officers to patrol a beat, quickly reach incident scenes, and transport and temporarily ...

version was available, based on the UAZ-31512-UMM with an insulated five-door metal body and optional special equipment. The UAZ-469B formed the basis of the TREKOL-39041

amphibious vehicle An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian) is a vehicle that works both on land and on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious Amphibious cycle, bicycles, Amphibious ATV, ATVs, Amphibious automobile, cars, Duckboats, buses, truc ...

Specifications

The original version uses a 2.45-liter four-cylinder engine. From 2010 until 2013 it had a engine producing . ;Engine: 2,450 cc petrol, in-line 4-cylinder, water cooled, at 4,000 rpm, at 2,200 rpm ;Fuel: Carburettor system, uses 76-

octane Octane is a hydrocarbon and also an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH3(CH2)6CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers ...

petrol Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...

, tank capacity is 78 litres ;Transmission: 4-speed

manual gearbox A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...

, 2-speed

transfer case A transfer case is an intermediate gearbox that transfers power from the transmission of a motor vehicle to the driven axles of four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and other multi-axled on- and off-road machines. A part of the vehicle's drivetr ...

4-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case provi ...

;Front axle: Live axle with

coil spring A tension coil spring A coil spring is a mechanical device that typically is used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces. It is made of an elastic material formed into the ...

drum brake A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of Brake shoe, shoes or Brake pad, pads that press outward against a rotating bowl-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press o ...

s ;Rear axle: Live axle with

leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring (device), spring commonly used for suspension (vehicle), suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, e ...

s, drum brakes ;Dimensions and weights: * Empty weight with fuel: * Max. gross weight: * External dimensions: (length/width/height): × × * Wheelbase: * Tread front/rear: / * Ground clearance: * Tire size: 215 SR 15 * Wheel size: 6L×15

Other variants

* UAZ-469BI – 469B version with shielded electrical equipment (for example, P-403M microwave transceiver VHF radio) * UAZ-469BG – medical utility version, equipped with places for nurses and a stretcher; after modernization in 1985, it received the designation UAZ-3152. ** UAZ-469 WZMot-4 – Polish ambulance version with stretched patient compartment, upgraded from UAZ-469BG * UAZ-469RH – version modified for nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) resistance * UAZ-39294 – variant with low–pressure tires

Concepts and prototypes

* UAZ-3907 Ягуар (Jaguar) – amphibious vehicle based on the UAZ-469 with two

propellers A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

mounted to the rear axle * UAZ-Martorelli – UAZ-469B version that was exported to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where it was significantly modified. These versions included: ** with Russian UMP-451M

petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American and Canadian English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends ...

(2,445 cc, 75 hp), called the "UAZ-Explorer" ** with a Peugeot XD2

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

(2,498 cc, 76 hp) – UAZ-Marathon ** with a

turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...

Vittorio Martorelli

VM Motori VM Motori S.p.A. is an Italian diesel engine manufacturing company which is wholly owned by Stellantis. VM headquarters and main production facilities are located in Cento, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History VM Motori was founded by two entrep ...

(2,400 cc, 100 hp) - UAZ-Dakar, ** with a

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

petrol engine (1,995 cc, 112 hp) – UAZ-Racing * UAZ-3105 (or UAZ-3150) Cпорт (Sport) – a short wheelbase (2000mm) version with removable roof and doors * UAZ-3171/3172 - variant with rebodied body and rectangular headlights

Users

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Transnistria Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a Landlocked country, landlocked Transnistria conflict#International recognition of Transnistria, breakaway state internationally recogn ...

* * * * * *

Former users

* * * * * : Briefly used during the 1990s, acquired from Germany. * : Bought in the 1970s and retired in the 1990s. * : Used captured Syrian examples; retired from IDF service. * : Used by the

Lebanese Armed Forces The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; ), also known as the Lebanese Army (), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is ...

and some Lebanese militias during the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

(1975–1994). * * : Passed on to successor states.

Service history

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

Mozambican Civil War The Mozambican Civil War () was a civil war fought in Mozambique from 1977 to 1992 due to a combination of local strife and the polarizing effects of Cold War politics. The fighting was between Mozambique's ruling Marxist Front for the Liberat ...

South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...

* Soviet-Afghan War * Iran-Iraq War *

United States invasion of Grenada The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...

Persian Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Transnistrian War The Transnistria War (; ) was an armed conflict that broke out on 2 November 1990 in Dubăsari between pro-Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, PMR) forces, including the Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and neo-Cossack unit ...

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...

First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...

Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...

War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in t ...

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. All figures are from the United Nations Demographic Yearbooks ...

* Syrian Civil War *

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

War in Donbas The war in Donbas, or the Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. The war Timeline of the war in Donbas (2014), began in April 2014, when Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, Russian para ...

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

Second Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, surrounding occupied territories. It was a major esca ...

Gallery

File:UAZ 569-engine compartment.jpg, UMP-4178 engine for the UAZ-469 File:Украинская милиция.jpg, Ukrainian police UAZ-3151 UMM File:UAZ-469 on Garbarska street in Kraków (3).jpg, UAZ-469 on Garbarska street in Kraków File:UAZ-31514.jpg, UAZ-3150 aka UAZ Sport File:UAZ - Rehearsal in Alabino of 2013 Victory Day Parade.jpg, UAZ-469 with open top File:UAZ-469 FI H86018 10.JPG, UAZ-469 interior File:UAZ Hunter in Yekaterinburg.jpg, UAZ Hunter with equipment

References

Bibliography

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