The latest news about Western military support was packed with aid packages from Poland. This country is among the partners that provide the most assistance with weapons, equipment and humanitarian aid, steadily supplying tanks, self-propelled guns, armored vehicles and much more. Polish companies are increasing the production of their own military developments, and today we will tell you in detail about the overall result of the work of Ukrainian and Polish engineers – the Oncillla armored personnel carrier.

The history of the creation of the Oncillla armored personnel carrier

The Oncillla armored vehicle is a modified Dozor-B manufactured under license by the Polish company Mista. Ukrainian armored vehicle “Dozor-B” was developed in Kharkiv, from where it went to Poland in 2013 and was continued in the form of Oncillla. The company Lacenaire Limited was involved in the work on Oncila, the operators, in addition to Poland, are Ukraine and Senegal.

In the Ukrainian Dozor-B, the Poles replaced all elements so that the machine met the NATO level 2 protection standards STANAG 4569, however, almost every year Oncillla armored vehicles underwent various modifications. For example, to be optimized for countries with hot climates or to meet the needs of special forces. Therefore, there are several variants of cars in which the elements of the armor, a new generation engine, chassis, hatches, brakes, etc. are completely or partially different from the original.

Thanks to all the engineering solutions, Mista offers several types of Oncillla – a command and staff vehicle, a standard reconnaissance vehicle, as well as for chemical and radiological reconnaissance.

At the end of March 2023, information appeared in the media about the transfer of 30 units of Oncillla armored personnel carriers for the needs of Ukrainian intelligence officers, however, in 2019, the official delivery of 42 units of armored weapons, including BTR-4, BTR-3, BTR-70Di, took place for the Armed Forces , BMP-1 and Oncillla.

Construction and modifications of the Oncillla armored personnel carrier

Oncillla is a classic armored car. It is intended for the transport of landing forces and the protection of infantry from mines. Due to its high carrying capacity and versatility, the car has great potential for further modernization.

The design of the classic Oncilla corresponds to the modern model of an armored car, where the engine is located in front, and the landing compartment in the back. It can accommodate six paratroopers (the Dozor-B has versions for accommodating eight paratroopers).

The crew consists of three people – a driver, a commander, a gunner. They are protected by machine armor made of steel, which stops standard armor-piercing munitions. This level of protection corresponds to NATO STANAG 4569 level 2, the third level can be achieved through the use of additional passive armor.

The crew is protected by bulletproof glass, there is Kevlar cladding, the bottom of the machine has a cylindrical shape, which provides better protection against mines. In addition, all seats with 4-point safety belts are designed to absorb the energy of a mine explosion.

Unlike Dozor-B, the interior equipment of Oncilla is considered more comfortable, because in addition to new seats, the car received a more modern driver’s panel and a more comfortable steering wheel.

The armament of the classic Oncilla consists of a turret controlled from inside the machine and mounted on a 12.7mm large-caliber machine gun. The angles of its vertical guidance range from -3 ° to +68 °, and horizontally – 360 °.

The stock of ammunition is 450 rounds. In addition, a laser range finder, a thermal sight, cameras can be used. 2022 introduced versions of the Oncilla Mk2 APC with a 90mm gun, as well as mine clearance and fire support vehicles.

Oncilla can easily cope with off-road, developing a speed of up to 105 km/h. Its “heart” immediately became two variants of the engine – diesel DEUTZ BF 4M 1013 FC with a capacity of 190 hp. or diesel IVECO NEF 4 ENTC with a capacity of 209.5 hp. and an Allison 1000 6+1 automatic transmission. The second option allows you to drive at a speed of up to 120 km/h on the highway with a fuel reserve of 750 km. About

The Oncilla armored personnel carrier will pass without any problems where ordinary cars cannot – with a maximum angle of elevation of 30° and an angle of inclination of 24°, the car will overcome even water obstacles and swamps. Special inserts in the tires will help the vehicle to drive another 50 km during puncture of all wheels.

Oncilla is very durable and able to withstand even an extreme man-made situation, as it has a modern air recirculation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. It also gives it resistance to work in hot climates, which confirms the interest in the purchase of Oncilla machines by the Senegalese army. Although the car also has a heating system if you need to work in the cold season.

Among other equipment, the Oncilla armored personnel carrier uses: a centralized tire inflation system, water drainage, hydraulic power steering, communication and satellite navigation systems, an automatic fire extinguishing system, as well as a 6.8 ton winch.

Technical and tactical characteristics of the Oncillla armored personnel carrier

Advantages of Oncillla armored personnel carriers

Both military observers and the military themselves, commenting on the machine’s performance in interviews with journalists, highly appreciate Oncilla’s comfort and passability. The automatic gearbox and remote fire control system make it easier for both the driver and the gunner to perform combat tasks.

Oncillla looks modern and technically fully corresponds to other NATO armored vehicles. At first glance, the Oncillla armored personnel carrier appears to be a new development – the shooter uses a joystick like in the movies about star landing, and the autonomy and reliability of the machine resembles space shuttles for the exploration of Mars.

The machine will cope not only with the transportation of troops or infantry cover. Thanks to the ability to cross the road with any soil (the tire inflation system works in different modes, for example, for driving on a sandy road), the Oncillla APC can simplify the clearing of cleared areas. With a high level of protection, it is a difficult target for mines, which the enemy leaves en masse while tending, and a thermal sight will help the gunner to find all enemy ambushes even at night.

The Oncillla armored personnel carrier is an excellent example of the joint work of specialists from two countries. It preserved the design philosophy of the Ukrainian Dozor-B, and from the Poles it acquired a state-of-the-art implementation based on the NATO model. The development of the Oncillla armored vehicle will allow the formation of new types of weapons based on this chassis, as well as show the possibilities of joint projects of the Ukrainian defense industry and Western companies.