Today we are going to talk about oversnow and high north vehicles, why ski when you can drive?

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Like any vehicle, those specialising in traction over deep snow must balance a number of characteristics, and in a defence context, protection and firepower are also added to the mix.

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Am not going to look at existing armoured vehicles and their oversnow performance, @jonhawkes has done a great job of that in various threads. Instead, a look at the transport and utility markets, those not normally associated with defence

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At a small scale, individual transport can be delivered by adding ‘after-market’ track kits to quad bike style ATV’s. Camso and Matrack being leading manufacturers

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Trailers with skis are also available

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Officially called Oversnow Reconnaissance Vehicle (ORV) in UK service, centre drive single track snowmobiles are available in sports and utility models from a number of manufacturers, this one from BRP.

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These are specialist vehicles, fast and highly mobile, able to move at speed over the deepest snow. Larger vehicles can also be fitted with after-market track kits

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In the rescue, agriculture, oil exploration, leisure and other markets, a number of manufacturers produce single chassis all-terrain vehicles that specialise in the high north winter and summer

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Alltrack in Canada, from a 1.5 tonne payload single pallet design to one that can carry 16 tonnes
https://www.alltrack.ca 

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In the UK, Loglogic make a range of vehicles, the MoD even use one for range duties

https://www.loglogic.co.uk/index.php/product-range/all-terrain-vehicles

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Another Canadian manufacturer, PioneerUTV, produce some really large vehicles with high payloads, and the ability to tow large tracked trailers and tipper bodies

https://www.utvint.com/vehicles/track-vehicles/

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The familiar BV Bandvagn uses an articulating design to maximise payload and simplicity. There is an active after market for these that produce all manner of addons and trailers, this from STV for example

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The BAE BvS10 Beowulf has been proposed as a successor

https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/bvs10-beowulf

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STV also make modern versions of the articulated over snow vehicle based on modern automotive systems
https://stvab.se/en/tl6/ 

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Back to Canada and climbing the size ladder, Track Industries

https://www.trackindustries.com/new-builds 

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Still in Canada, Foremost produce a large range of heavy duty high payload vehicles

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https://www.foremost.ca/foremost-mobile-equipment/tracked-vehicles/

Rimpull is yet another North American manufacturer, at the super heavy end of the market

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https://www.rimpull.com/vehicles.php?vid=1

Snow groomers used on worlds ski slopes are also used in the utility and exploration markets

Still in North America, Pisten Bully, carriers and tippers

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And finally, Prinoth

https://www.prinoth.com/en/tracked-vehicles/

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As you can see, if all you want is a range of transport vehicles for deep snow, muskeg and marsh, there are lots of places one could purchase them from that aren’t Russian

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Armoured vehicles specifically designed for deep snow, well that is another matter, those are still very much niche, but if you want the biggest, the Kress Carrier gets my vote!

http://www.kresscarrier.com/DiversifiedPersonnelCarrier.html#.YCWAnPnLeM9

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