MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Over 50 employees of the Vityaz Machine-Building Company (part of the Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer under the state tech corporation Rostec) have worked in Antarctica. The company's two-link tracked all-terrain vehicles have become the "lifeline" of polar stations, the company press service reported.

"More than 50 employees of the Vityaz Machine-Building Company have worked at different times on the harshest continent on the planet, and the two-link tracked all-terrain vehicles have become a symbol of reliability and Russian engineering prowess in the ice," the press service said on the occasion of the 206th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian navigators Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, who arrived on the continent aboard the ships Vostok and Mirny on January 28, 1820.

The company recalled that the first Vityaz vehicle (then called Ishimbay) arrived in Antarctica in 1987. Soon afterward, this unique equipment, designed for extreme conditions, gained respect not only among Russian polar explorers but also abroad. For example, South Africa purchased two vehicles for the construction of its Antarctic station, SANAE IV. Thanks to the Vityaz, construction time was reduced by half.

The defense manufacturer emphasized that over the years, Vityaz vehicles have become a true "lifeline" for Antarctic stations. The all-terrain vehicles have completed dozens of challenging missions, delivering cargo, fuel, equipment and personnel to the Vostok, Novolazarevskaya, Molodezhnaya, Mirny and other stations. They have set unprecedented records, crossing up to 2,000 kilometers of icy wilderness. Experience operating tracked two-link vehicles in the harshest conditions has allowed the company to create special accommodation trailers for long trans-Antarctic voyages, ensuring crew comfort and survival in the continent’s hinterland.

"For the harsh and extreme conditions typical of Antarctica and the Arctic, there’s no better vehicle than the Vityaz. It can navigate swampy and snowy terrain, as well as the sea. These all-terrain vehicles can withstand sea states up to force three. They can even be used to unload ships where other suitable means are unavailable. We were once in a winter expedition when the air temperature dropped to -73°C. The equipment endured. We added diesel fuel to the lubricant so it wouldn't thicken excessively in extreme cold. The main danger was that the rubber tracks would shatter like glass. We had to warm up for a long time and move extremely carefully. We managed, delivered the cargo and returned," recalled test engineer Fyodor Biganov, as quoted by the press service.