Armored Vehicles

GAZ-3937 Vodnik

Also known as
  • Vodnik
  • GAZ-3937
  • GAZ-39371
  • GAZ-39371 Vodnik
  • GAZ-39371-221
  • BMM-1
  • BMM-2

The GAZ-3937 Vodnik is a Russian 4x4 amphibious armored vehicle family built around a modular front-and-rear body concept for troop transport, reconnaissance, convoy escort, ambulance, and utility roles. The GAZ-39371 production variant is associated with Military Industrial Company and Arzamas Machine-Building Plant sourcing, can carry mission modules or turreted armament, and appears in the Ukraine-war catalog as rare captured Russian armored mobility equipment.

GAZ-3937 Vodnik, 4x4 amphibious armored mobility and reconnaissance vehicle, Armored Vehicles
Image source: Wikimedia Commons Vodnik front image

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Type
4x4 amphibious armored mobility and reconnaissance vehicle
Service note
Early-2000s Russian service; visually documented in the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
Military Industrial Company / GAZ vehicle design lineage
Designed
Development testing completed around 2002 according to Deagel; Army Guide describes the GAZ-3937-10 version as developed in 1995 and first seen in 1996
Produced
Early 2000s limited production and service entry
Number built
Limited public production; Deagel lists Russia and Uruguay as operators and Army Recognition reported approximately 54 supplied to Russian forces

Specifications

Configuration
4x4 amphibious armored vehicle with front control/engine module and replaceable rear mission module
Crew and passengers
Army Guide lists 1 crew and 10 troops for the GAZ-39371 data table; Army Recognition describes a two-person crew with up to eight infantrymen depending on configuration
Combat weight
Deagel lists 7,000 kg maximum weight; Army Recognition and Wikimedia-derived references commonly place the family around 6.6 to 7.5 tonnes by configuration
Engine
175 hp liquid-cooled turbocharged diesel in Deagel and Army Recognition descriptions; Army Guide also lists YaMZ-460 and YaMZ-534.10 diesel options
Road speed
About 110 km/h in Army Guide, Deagel, and Army Recognition; Defence Blog reports 112 km/h for the GAZ-39371
Range
Up to 1,000 km according to Army Guide, Deagel, and Army Recognition
Mobility
Independent suspension, central tire-pressure system, amphibious hull, and roughly 1 m to 1.2 m water-crossing capability depending on source wording
Armament options
BTR-80-style one-person turret with 14.5 mm KPVT and 7.62 mm PKT machine guns; other marketed modules include light weapons, antitank guided weapons, and utility/ambulance modules
Protection
Armored hull for small-arms and fragment protection; mine and ballistic protection vary by configuration and are less clearly documented than mobility and mission-module data
Modular Vehicle Layout

The Vodnik family is useful as a catalog entry because it sits between light protected mobility vehicles and heavier wheeled APCs. Army Guide and Deagel both describe a modular rear section that can be changed for troop transport, reconnaissance, escort, medical evacuation, technical-assistance, antitank, or weapons-carrier roles rather than one fixed combat fit.

Baseline mission

Personnel movement, road and off-road patrol, convoy escort, reconnaissance, and special-purpose military tasks.

Weapons fit

Documented options include a BTR-80-style turret with 14.5 mm KPVT and 7.62 mm PKT machine guns, and Army Guide also notes marketed mission modules including antitank and heavier weapons fits.

Catalog relationship

The record is kept separate from GAZ Tigr because the Vodnik uses its own amphibious modular layout and appears as a rarer captured vehicle in Ukraine-war loss reporting.

Sources: Army Guide GAZ-39371 Vodnik; Deagel Vodnik profile; Oryx Russian equipment losses in Ukraine.

Variants

Public references use GAZ-3937 for the original layout and GAZ-39371 for the later nose-forward/main-production configuration; mission modules changed the same basic platform into troop, weapons, ambulance, and support versions.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
GAZ-3937Original two-seat/tandem-cab armored vehicle layout

Army Guide distinguishes the GAZ-3937 APC layout from the later GAZ-39371 front-cab version.

Sources: Army Guide GAZ-39371 Vodnik

GAZ-39371Later Vodnik variant with revised forward cabin

Army Guide describes the GAZ-39371 as a version with commander, driver, and radio-operator seating and optional turret or mission-module fits.

Sources: Army Guide GAZ-39371 Vodnik, Deagel Vodnik profile

GAZ-3937-10Armored car with BTR-80-style machine-gun turret

Army Guide describes the GAZ-3937-10 as fitted with a BTR-80 one-person turret armed with 14.5 mm KPVT and 7.62 mm PKT machine guns.

Sources: Army Guide GAZ-39371 Vodnik

BMM-1 / BMM-2Medical evacuation and ambulance variants

Deagel lists BMM-1 and BMM-2 among alternate Vodnik designations for medical evacuation and improved ambulance configurations.

Sources: Deagel Vodnik profile

Timeline

GAZ-3937 Vodnik Key Events

  1. GAZ-3937-10 developed

    Army Guide describes the GAZ-3937-10 armored-car version as developed in 1995 and first seen in 1996.

    Sources: Army Guide GAZ-39371 Vodnik

  2. Development testing completed

    Deagel reports that Russian press described Vodnik development testing as complete in 2002, with the GAZ-39371 Vodnik listed as active from that year.

    Sources: Deagel Vodnik profile

  3. Uruguay export context

    Deagel lists Uruguay as an operator with 48 Vodnik vehicles, matching later public reporting that the type had a limited export footprint beyond Russia.

    Sources: Deagel Vodnik profile

  4. Captured example reported in Ukraine

    Army Recognition reported a captured Russian GAZ-3937 Vodnik repainted in Ukrainian pixel camouflage and used by Ukrainian soldiers during the full-scale invasion.

    Sources: Army Recognition captured Vodnik

Media

GAZ-3937 Vodnik Images

GAZ-3937 Vodnik, 4x4 amphibious armored mobility and reconnaissance vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons Vodnik rear image
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Sources

Army Guide GAZ-39371 VodnikPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports GAZ-39371 identity, Military Industrial Company manufacturer listing, modular mission-role description, variants, turret options, troop capacity, mobility, and selected specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Deagel Vodnik profilePublisher: Deagel | Note: Supports Vodnik operator, contractor, active-status, IOC, mission-role, module, engine, range, speed, weight, fording, and BMM-1/BMM-2 variant background. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Army Recognition captured VodnikPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context: a Russian GAZ-3937 Vodnik captured by Ukrainian soldiers, repainted in Ukrainian pixel camouflage, and reported in use by Ukrainian soldiers; also supports limited-production and specification background. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Oryx Russian equipment losses in UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context as visually documented Russian equipment losses: two GAZ-39371 Vodnik vehicles listed as captured during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Defence Blog Vodnik Latakia reportPublisher: Defence Blog | Note: Supports GAZ-39371 amphibious mobility, GAZ-family manufacturing context, module seating, engine, speed, and public reporting of Vodnik vehicles in Latakia; not used as a conflictUsage source because it does not by itself establish a catalog conflict-use row. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Wikimedia Commons Vodnik front imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image: a GAZ-3937 Vodnik photographed at a Kapustin Yar anniversary military-equipment exhibition, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 / GFDL. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Wikimedia Commons Vodnik rear imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the rear gallery image for the same GAZ-3937 Vodnik exhibition vehicle, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 / GFDL. | Accessed: 2026-07-06