The GAZ-66 is a Soviet and later Russian 4x4 all-road military truck produced by GAZ. It was one of the main cargo vehicles for motorized infantry of the Soviet Army and is still employed in former Soviet Union countries. It is nicknamed shishigashehsheriktrueman. Almost one million vehicles of this type were built for both military and civil use. The GAZ-66 has gained legendary status in many countries around the world due to its reliability, simplicity and off-road capability. Thanks to standard features, such as a front-mounted winch, Central Tire Inflation System and self-locking differentials, the GAZ-66 is extremely popular worldwide with armed forces and off-road enthusiasts. Production ceased in 1999, with the GAZ-3308 being produced instead.
GAZ-66B - Paratrooper version with telescopic steering column, folding roof and folding windshield frame
* BM-21V "Grad-V" : Developed for airborne troops in 1969. A GAZ-66B four-by-four truck chassis is fitted with a 12-round 122 mm rocket launcher. The vehicle is sturdy enough to be air-dropped. Parts of the vehicle such as the canvas cab roof can be taken off or folded down to reduce its size during transit. Like the BM-21, the BM-21V has stabilizing jacks on the rear of the vehicle for support when firing. The launch vehicle has the industrial index of 9P125.
GAZ-66-01 - the base model with a centralized control system for tire pressure
GAZ-66-02 - with a winch
GAZ-66-03 - with shielded electrical equipment
GAZ-66-04 - the chassis with shielded electrical equipment
GAZ-66-05 - with shielded electrical equipment and a winch
GAZ-66-11 - upgraded base model
GAZ-66-12 - with a winch
GAZ-66-14 - the chassis with shielded electrical equipment and a power take-off
Military versions
GAZ-66-15 - with shielded electrical equipment and a winch
GAZ-66-16 - modernized version with ZMZ-513.10, reinforced tires, completed the brakes, the platform without intruding wheel niches, load capacity 2.3 tons
GAZ-66-21 - the national-economic modification with the dual tires and rear axle wooden platform GAZ-53, load capacity 3.5 tons
GAZ-66-31 - chassis for trucks
GAZ-66-41 - a naturally aspirated GAZ-544 diesel engine
In the Russian version of the TV showTop Gear, a test was conducted on the vehicle's strengths: the body had building rubble dropped on it, it was set on fire and submerged in water. After all these tests, it kept going.
The GAZ-66 is a truck in the game ' with the name of B-66 due to copyright claims
In the 2019 HBO TV miniseries Chernobyl, the truck is used by Gen. Col. Vladimir Pikalov, commander of the Soviet Chemical Troops, to carry out a radiation measuring at the damaged power plant, with high-range dosimeter placed at the front and lead sheets covering the cabin.
