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ZiL-131


6x6 Wheeled Military Truck


Soviet Union | 1964



"The ZiL-131 6x6 military truck had a production run ranging from 1964 until 2012 with thousands being produced for a myriad of global customers."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the ZiL-131 6x6 Wheeled Military Truck.
1 x ZiL-130 6.0L V-8 diesel engine driving conventional 6x6 wheeled / all-wheel arrangement.
Installed Power
75 mph
120 kph
Road Speed
351 miles
565 km
Range
Structure
The physical qualities of the ZiL-131 6x6 Wheeled Military Truck.
1
(MANNED)
Crew
23.1 ft
7.04 meters
O/A Length
8.2 ft
2.49 meters
O/A Width
8.2 ft
2.49 meters
O/A Height
14,771 lb
6,700 kg | 7.4 tons
Weight
Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the ZiL-131 6x6 Wheeled Military Truck.
Base vehicle typically none, save for personal weapons carried by the crew.
AMMUNITION:
Not Applicable.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the ZiL-131 family line.
ZiL-131 - Base Series Designation.
ZiL-130 - Civilian market form.
AMUR-531340 - ZiL-130/-131 trucks manufactured at AMUR plant; not produced since 2012.
BM-21 "Grad" - MLRS vehicle variant.
ZiL-131 Firetruck
ZiL-131 Mobile Bakery
ZiL-131 Command Post
ZiL-131 Fuel Carrier
ZiL-131 SCUD missile carrier
ZiL-131 Border Guard transport
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/25/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Logistics are at the heart of every well-fueled, well-armed military and, for the Soviet Union during its heyday, this was provided for - in part - by the ZiL-131 military truck. The truck arrived in all-wheeled, 6x6 triple-axle arrangement seating a pair of axles under the rear of the chassis. The driving cab positioned the driver at front-left with the engine compartment immediately forward. Production of the ZiL-131 was had from 1964 until 2012 at which point the AMUR plant was shuttered due to bankruptcy (then produced as the AMUR-531340). Despite this, sheer numbers of the truck ensure it a place on the modern battlefield.

The civilian market form is the "ZiL-130".

For its part in Soviet history, the ZiL-131 succeeded the ZiL-157 series trucks of 1958. These were similarly arranged in 6x6 with a driving cab aft of the engine and a flexible / modular rear flat bed. Unlike the ZiL-131, the ZiL-157 was only utilized by the Soviets, China, Vietnam, and North Korea but has, itself, been formally succeeded by the more modern ZiL-4334 series trucks in Russian service.

Dimensions of the base vehicle include an overall length of 7.04 meters, a width of 2.5 meters, and a height of 2.5 meters. Curb weight is 6,700 kilograms. Its payload can reach up to 5,000kg for in-road traveling (less so when going off road).

Key qualities of the truck are its large road wheels and high ground clearance, allowing it to traverse cross-country and water sources. The suspension system includes solid axles coupled to leaf springs. Power is from a ZiL-130 6.0L V8 diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission system with 2-speed transfer case. A pair of 45-gallon gasoline tanks fuel the engine.

The versatility of the ZiL-131 is key to its success, having been the host vehicle for a variety of field solutions including the BN-21 "Grad" Multiple Launch, Rocket Projector (MLRS) vehicles (detailed elsewhere on this site) relied heavily on by the Soviet / Russian army. Beyond this, variants that have appeared include models utilized by border guard elements, specialized fire trucks, MEDEVAC, SCUD missile carriers, general transport (open flatbed or soft/hard covered), dedicated Command Posts (CPs), fuel tankers, and even mobile field bakeries.

Operators of the ZiL-131 currently (2022) include many former Soviet allies and supported states - notable entries being Georgia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Syria, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Former operators are Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Iraq, and Yugoslavia.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the ZiL-131. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 40,000 Units

Contractor(s): OJSC AMO ZiL - Soviet Union / Russia
National flag of Armenia National flag of Bangladesh National flag of Bulgaria National flag of Czechia National flag of Georgia National flag of modern Germany National flag of East Germany National flag of Iraq National flag of Kazakhstan National flag of Kyrgyzstan National flag of Mongolia National flag of Poland National flag of Romania National flag of Russia National flag of the Soviet Union National flag of Syria National flag of Tajikistan National flag of Ukraine National flag of Uzbekistan National flag of Vietnam National flag of Yugoslavia

[ Armenia; Bangladesh; Bulgaria; Czechoslovakia (former); Georgia; East Germany (former); Iraq (former); Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Poland; Romania; Russia; Soviet Union (former); Syria; Tajikistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yugoslavia (former) ]
Going Further...
The ZiL-131 6x6 Wheeled Military Truck appears in the following collections:
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