Star 266

Star 266 is a Polish 6x6 truck designed for transport of cargo and personnel.

Development history

The design works started in 1968. The first prototypes were ready a year later. Between 1970 and 1973 the vehicle was being prepared to enter serial production which it did in 1973.

Usage

Star 266 is widely used by civilians to transport goods and served as a basis for many civilian vehicles including fire engines, garbage trucks, sewerage service trucks and truck-mounted cranes.

Two specially modified Star 266 trucks took part in the 1988 Dakar Rally. The two crews included Tomasz Sikora with Jerzy Franek and Jerzy Mazur with Julian Obornicki. Both trucks reached the finish line in Senegal but they went over the delay limit and as such were not classified.^[1] One of the trucks is currently in Muzeum Przyrody i Techniki (Nature and Technology Museum) in Starachowice.

Star 266 is a basic medium-capacity transport vehicle of the Polish Armed Forces and as such is used for a number of different tasks. Polish Army also uses the modernized variant of Star 266 known as Star 266M. Star 266 also served as basis for a number of different vehicles including CD-5 tank trucks which are used for transport of liquid fuel by supply platoons of tank and mechanized battalions, GD-2 smokescreen generation vehicles, truck-mounted cranes, excavators, WUS-3 and IRS special vehicles used for disinfection, deactivation and decontamination of vehicles, terrain, equipment and buildings, ADK-11 command vehicles as well as Star-266 AP-64 and Star-266 BP-64 special transport vehicles used for transporting the elements of the PP-64 Wstęga pontoon bridge.^[2][3][4]

Variants

• Star 266 - standard production model.
  • Star 266M - modernized 266.
  • Star 266 based military truck-mounted crane with 5 tonnes capacity.
  • Star 266 based military excavator.
  • GD-2 - military smokescreen generation vehicle used for creating constant or temporary smokescreens with maximal dimensions of 1500x150 m. Also known as typ 528.^[2][4]
  • CD-5 - military tank truck used for transport of liquid fuel by supply platoons of tank and mechanized battalions. It's equipped with a 4500 liter tank and a pump. Also known as typ 520.^[2][3][4]
  • Hibneryt - self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. A ZU-23-2 or ZUR-23-2S short-range air defense towed twin 23 mm autocannon fitted onto the Star 266's truck bed which has been modified and elevated to allow the AA gun to fire more freely. The wheels haven't been removed which allows the crew to remove the autocannon if need be which can be used as it originally was. The vehicle carries the ammo and equipment for the AA gun.^[2][4][5]
    • Hibneryt-KG - Hibneryt armed with ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G short-range air defense towed twin 23 mm autocannon. It has a storage space for the GROM missiles as well as engine-generator for the AA gun.^[5]
    • Hibneryt-P - Custom variant made by soldiers from 3rd District Technological Workshops in Nowy Dworek Mazowiecki.^[5]
  • WUS-3 - military special vehicle used for disinfection, deactivation and decontamination of vehicles, terrain, equipment and buildings.^[2][3][4]
  • IRS (IRS stands for Instalacja Sanitarno-Rozlewcza) - military special vehicle used for disinfection, deactivation and decontamination of vehicles, terrain, equipment and buildings.^[2][3][4]
  • ADK-11 - military command and staff vehicle used as a part of the Topaz artillery fire direction system.^[2][4]
  • Star-266 AP-64 - military special transport vehicle used for transporting the elements of the PP-64 Wstęga pontoon bridge.^[2][3][4]
  • Star-266 BP-64 - military special transport vehicle used for transporting riverbank side pontoons of the PP-64 Wstęga pontoon bridge. Has an enlarged cabin with space for up to four soldiers.^[2][3][4]

References