Ukraine’s Inguar-3 Armored Vehicle Enters Frontline Service With Anti-Drone Armor Upgrades.

Ukraine’s domestically produced Inguar-3 MRAP entered service with National Guard units after state contracts and combat trials, with public footage showing the 3rd Operational Brigade operating the vehicle. The Inguar-3’s combination of STANAG Level 3 protection, modular armor, and integrated electronic warfare and anti-drone fittings addresses the immediate battlefield problem of FPV drones and artillery harassment.

In a social media post dated 26 October 2025, the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard showcased one of the vehicles the unit is currently operating the Inguar-3 armored vehicle. On March 23, 2025, Ukraine’s defense forces began receiving the domestically built Inguar-3 armored vehicle, with National Guard formations confirmed among the first field users. Public footage and local reporting now show the Spartan 3rd Operational Brigade operating the type, while the 18th Slavic Brigade has been seen outfitting vehicles with anti-drone cages following state contracts placed at the end of 2024 for two unnamed structures.
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The Ukrainian Inguar-3 is a modular armored 4x4 with STANAG 3 protection, a 356 hp Deutz powertrain, and integrated counter-drone EW, boosting frontline mobility and survivability (Picture source: Screenshot from the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard's video).

Built by Kyiv-based Inguar Defense, the program grew out of wartime lessons and a push to reduce reliance on adapted commercial trucks. Company records and contact listings confirm the manufacturer’s base in the capital, with the legal entity registered in 2020, a sign of the rapid maturation of Ukraine’s light armor sector since 2014. The firm styles Inguar-3 as a modular MRAP family available in 4x4 and 6x6, designed alongside special operations users and vetted in combat trials before orders.

Inguar-3 combines an armored steel and aluminum shell with a frame chassis, independent suspension and planetary gearboxes for rough terrain. Power comes from a Deutz diesel rated at 356 horsepower and 1,500 Nm, paired to an Allison automatic. Central tire inflation and RunFlat inserts preserve mobility after a puncture, while quick-change aluminum armor modules simplify repair. The manufacturer claims STANAG 4569 Level 3 ballistic and 3a/3b mine protection, targeting survivability against 7.62×51 AP rounds, 155 mm fragments at 60 meters and 8 kg mine blasts.

The vehicle is purpose-built for a drone-saturated battlespace. The Ukrainian Government order specified an integrated electronic warfare station, and units have been installing an armored anti-drone superstructure during acceptance, reflecting a doctrine that pairs passive protection with active jamming. Ukrainian outlets and official media further indicate a remote weapon station is in development, sized for 12.7 mm machine guns or a 40 mm grenade launcher, with ring-mount heavy machine guns used in the interim.

Inguar-3 gives National Guard and light infantry formations a protected mobility node for dispersed assault groups, convoy security and casualty evacuation under fire. In role and weight, it sits near Western protected mobility like JLTV or Poland’s Tur family, but its layout and fittings are tailored to Ukraine’s reality of dense mine belts, artillery harassment and FPV ambushes. Early battlefield narratives underscore that logic, with multiple reports of crews dismounting safely after FPV hits and, in one case, the vehicle remaining drivable through fire.

On procurement, quantities remain undisclosed. Kyiv media and industry sources describe a first state batch for two agencies late in 2024, summer 2025 deliveries beginning with National Guard units, and “serial deliveries in the pipeline” as brigades complete anti-drone fittings before formal acceptance. This wartime cadence compresses the traditional test-contract-fielding cycle and keeps configuration control close to the user, with brigade repair shops integrating EW blocks and cages as standard practice.

Ukraine faces massed tube and rocket artillery, layered obstacle belts and ubiquitous one-way-attack drones that punish soft-skinned transports and legacy APCs. A protected, modular workhorse with verified Level 3 protection and integrated counter-drone tools changes the risk calculus for moving squads, medics and fire support teams under observation. There are no confirmed foreign operators yet, but if domestic demand is met and performance trends hold, Inguar-3 is a credible export candidate for partners seeking a compact MRAP optimized for drone-heavy warfare.

Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.

Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.