Putin Arrives At Fourth Inauguration In New Russian Made Armored Limousine

Putin Arrives At Fourth Inauguration In New Russian-Made Armored Limousine Subscribe HERE For More News:https://goo.gl/TQhbDq Read Original Source Here:https://goo.gl/kL5ZjH Amid controversies and heightened tensions with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Western Europe, Russia’s authorities have formally inaugurated Vladimir Putin as president for the fourth time. In a particularly symbolic gesture, the head of state rode to the ceremony in an all-new Russian-made limousine, the first time the country’s head of state has a traveled in a new, domestically produced presidential car since the 1990s. Russia’s Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute – abbreviated NAMI – a government-run automatic research and development organization that dates back to the very beginning of the Soviet Union, crafted the vehicle in cooperation with Sollers JSC, a Russian holding company with stakes in various domestic car companies. The new vehicle replaces the modified Mercedes S600 Pullman the country’s Federal Protective Service, or FSO, had previously operated. Putin reportedly initiated the program, known as Project Cortege – a relatively archaic word that in English describes a person's personal retinue or a solemn procession, such as a funeral – after winning his third presidential election in 2012. The limousine is the first in what officials say will be an entire fleet of 14 new "Unified Modular Platform" vehicles for the FSO, including sedans, minivans, and SUVs. Additional examples could go to other Russian government agencies. "[Putin] has already familiarized himself with the project and has seen its various stages,” Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov told Russian newspaper Izvestia in June 2017. “He even took 'Prototype A' for a drive; there wasn't enough time to show 'Prototype B'.” In April 2018, Manturov had warned that the vehicle might not be ready for its debut at Putin’s inauguration as initially planned, but it appears that NAMI and Sollers JSC were able to successfully deliver at least one vehicle for the ceremony. There is the possibility that the limo the Russian president used to take the less than 700-foot ride from the Kremlin's Senate Building in Moscow to Andreevsky Hall is not in the final, production configuration. Otherwise, the exact design specifications are classified and there is little information readily available about its likely characteristics and features. Though the vehicle is domestically produced, reportedly, NAMI hired German car firms Porsche and Robert Bosch to help in the development, with the former company supplying a 600-horsepower turbocharged V8 engine. NAMI developed a second, significantly more powerful engine itself and this could be one of the major differences between the A and B prototypes. It's clear that the Project Cortege limo has extensive armor, secure communications equipment, and other self-protection and emergency features to help guard Putin in a variety of different situations. The vehicle outwardly appears less heavily modified than the one the President of the United States uses at present, but its not clear if that actually reflects its ballistic protection or other capabilities. The American design, colloquially known as “The Beast,” has a number of advanced features, including night and infrared vision driving systems, a completely sealed passenger compartment with independent air supply, and a medical kit that includes a ready store of the president’s blood. It may also have a variety of James Bond-esque self-defense systems, reportedly capable of releasing oil slicks and tear gas, akin to the specialized trucks the U.S. government uses to transport nuclear weapons.

Added 9 Sept 2026