At the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS 2025, held from May 28 to 31 alongside the International Defence and Security Technology Fair IDET 2025 in Brno, Czech Republic, the company New Space Technologies, based in Uherské Hradiště, presented the KALAN tracked amphibious vehicle.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The KALAN was developed as a successor to the Soviet-era tracked medium amphibious transporters of the PTS (Plavayushchiy Transportyor Sredniy) family, which are still in service in 18 countries—many of them in Europe and former Eastern Bloc states, including the Czech Republic, Poland (which is currently seeking replacements), Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and, of course, Russia. The Polish Armed Forces once operated 282 PTS-M vehicles, two of which were recently transferred to the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences for use at the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund, Svalbard (where they will join two already in operation). The PTS-M vehicles were most recently used by the Territorial Defence Forces during last year’s flood in southwestern Poland.
According to the manufacturer, the KALAN is powered by a 12-cylinder, air-cooled Tatra T3-928 diesel engine producing 440 kW (598 hp), which enables a top speed of up to 60 km/h on paved roads, 35 km/h off-road, and amphibious travel at 6.5 knots (12.5 km/h) using two low-jet propulsion units.
The vehicle measures 10.2 meters in length, 3.3 meters in width, and 3.7 meters in height. It has a curb weight of 20,000 kg and a maximum gross weight of 31,000 kg. It can handle terrain slopes of up to 30% laterally and 60% longitudinally, cross ditches up to 2.5 meters wide, and overcome vertical obstacles up to 650 mm high (approach angle: 40° / departure angle: 42°).
The vehicle is designed for transporting supplies, heavy equipment, fuel, humanitarian aid, and specialized gear, as well as for evacuating people during floods and natural disasters (up to 70 people or 12 medical stretchers). Loading and unloading are carried out via a rear ramp. The crew consists of three members, including the driver.
The KALAN can be equipped with various specialized modules, such as a container carrier, winch, hydraulic arm, or a fire pump unit with an integrated firefighting tank (8,000 liters of water/extinguishing agent or 500 liters of foam), featuring a water pumping function—including water contaminated during decontamination operations.
Interestingly, the Czech company does not rule out the possibility of a military variant, depending on demand, which could serve as a platform for weapon systems such as a multiple rocket launcher or an air defense system, as well as in a support role as a radar station. The vehicle can also be remotely operated from a command post.
The vehicle project was developed in cooperation with the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic (Hasičský záchranný sbor České republiky, HZS ČR) and was co-financed by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (Technologická agentura ČR, TA ČR) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade under the TREND development program, project no. FW03010364.
Currently, the prototype is undergoing extensive testing with the Rescue Unit of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic (Záchranný útvar Hasičského záchranného sboru České republiky, ZÚ HZS ČR).
KALAN received an award for innovative design as part of the prestigious Golden IDET 2025 competition.
