Roshel Senator APC is a versatile armoured personnel carrier capable of performing various functions related to military, security, government, law enforcement and rescue services.
The Canadian company Roshel has been supplying our Armed Forces with state-of-the-art, high-tech armoured vehicles of its own production, the Senator APC, for more than six months. A total of 550 of these armoured personnel carriers have been delivered, and by the end of this year another 1,000 Senator APCs will be put into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Let’s take a closer look at this modern armoured vehicle from the Canadian company Roshel.
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The Senator APC is a lightweight, 4×4, lightly armoured multipurpose vehicle from Roshel, Canada. This type of armoured vehicle is designed for a variety of customers, ranging from law enforcement and border patrol to public security and military. Thus, it is an inherently versatile solution for different operating conditions. Like other modern lightweight military systems, the Senator APC is designed with modularity in mind, providing a “one chassis, multiple roles” approach to the final product.
Using lightweight, innovative composite materials, Roshel delivers the highest performance and mobility for this multi-purpose transport platform. The vehicle’s body has been specially designed with advanced heat and noise insulation materials, providing an uncompromising level of comfort for its passengers. The vehicle is fully air-conditioned to ensure comfortable use in harsh environments.
The Roshel Senator APC is a highly mobile multi-purpose vehicle that has been specially designed for peacekeeping and law enforcement missions. This tactical platform is characterised by a high level of manoeuvrability and off-road capability, which makes it effective in both urban and off-road environments. In addition to the armoured personnel carrier, this versatile platform offers a variety of interchangeable functional modules that can be used as command and control centres, medical evacuation, crowd control, EOD, NBC, Reconnaissance, etc.
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This vehicle has been manufactured in Canada by Roshel Defence Solutions since 2018. Interestingly, the company’s CEO and founder, Roman Shymonov, comes from an immigrant family of Ukrainian descent. The company itself is located in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto with a large Ukrainian community. The vehicle was officially unveiled at the annual AUSA exhibition in 2018. This is the largest defence exhibition in North America, which took place on 8-10 October 2018 in Washington, DC, USA.
The Roshel Senator is an excellent military armoured vehicle based on the reliable Ford F-550 chassis. Designed to protect against small arms fire, this versatile vehicle serves as an effective SWAT platform and is also capable of serving as an armoured personnel carrier and infantry transport vehicle. Since its introduction in April 2018, the Senator APC has become Roshel’s flagship model, offering a range of specifications, design elements and construction features that make it the ideal choice for law enforcement and border patrol.
In addition to the standard Senator APC, which we will describe in more detail below, Roshel has two other variants of these armoured vehicles.
The Roshel Senator MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) uses V-hull technology to increase vehicle and crew survivability, providing exceptional protection and endurance. Thanks to its proven combat platform, the Senator MRAP has demonstrated its effectiveness in conflict zones, and has shown a high level of protection against mine explosions and ambushes. The vehicle is also ideal for off-road use and is equipped with a 6.7-litre turbo diesel engine, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance.
An important feature that contributes to the survivability of the Senator MRAP is the V-shaped hull design, which is specifically designed to mitigate the effects of explosive attacks, including landmines and improvised explosive devices. This design deflects and redirects the force of an explosion away from the cabin, dispersing the blast wave and shrapnel to the sides, minimising the risk of serious injury or death to passengers. In addition, this design absorbs and dissipates explosive energy, further enhancing the vehicle’s blast resistance. The V-shaped body has saved numerous lives in conflict zones and explosive areas.
Senator MRAP’s ergonomic features provide a comfortable and efficient working environment for personnel inside, thanks to the customisable interior layout that allows it to adapt to a variety of mission requirements. Advanced technology ensures optimum performance, mobility and reliability on the battlefield.
The Senator Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) is the best solution for the most demanding emergency operations. Thanks to its lightweight, innovative materials and advanced technological solutions, the Senator ERV sets the standard in its class.
Designed for successful rescue operations in both urban and remote locations, the Senator ERV boasts exceptional manoeuvrability and unique technical features. Roshel’s products have been highly praised for their lateral body tilt, which provides exceptional rollover resistance on uneven terrain. In addition, the Senator offers the best protection to weight ratio among vehicles in its category, which directly affects fuel consumption, manoeuvrability and speed. Inside the vehicle, new insulation materials protect against heat and noise, and a full air conditioning system ensures comfort in a variety of climates.
Equipped with Roshel’s proprietary intelligent vehicle technology, the Senator ERV provides operators with advanced tools to manage emergency operations. Communications and telematics provide remote surveillance, monitoring and control, enabling responders to assess and mitigate risks in real time.
The Senator ERV has enhanced protection thanks to the perimeter armouring of the passenger and engine compartments and offers ballistic protection in accordance with CEN B7 standards. The vehicle’s underside is equipped with explosion protection, further enhancing passenger safety. All materials used in the Senator ERV have been rigorously tested by globally recognised American and European laboratories to meet strict ballistic standards. Standard safety features such as escape hatches, advanced locks, exterior view cameras, sirens and sound systems, and emergency lighting are included in all models.
Like the APC Senator, the ERV is built on a dynamic modular platform that can be individually configured for specific rescue and emergency scenarios. Roshel’s in-house research and development and efficient production processes ensure that the requirements for individual vehicles can be met in the shortest possible time.
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The Roshel Senator APC has proven its value in real-world scenarios, demonstrating high efficiency and reliability in use. For example, during the Crew Dragon Demo-2 test flight in 2020, Senator armoured vehicles were used to ensure the safety of astronauts Bob Benken and Doug Gurley.
But the most important test was yet to come. The fact is that in 2022, these armoured vehicles were sent to Ukraine as part of military aid packages to help the Ukrainian military withstand the Russian invasion. This was the first time Senator APCs were used in combat. In response to growing demand, Roshel plans to increase production to 1,000 vehicles per year.
Recognising their importance, in January 2023, Canada included an additional 200 APC Senators in a C$90 million ($67.3 million) aid package.
However, it should be noted that as of 16 June 2023, six Senators have fallen victim to the war in Ukraine: three destroyed, two damaged and one captured by Russian forces, highlighting the difficult and dangerous conditions in which these vehicles operate. However, our defenders have praised the performance of these armoured personnel carriers.
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The Senator APC is a highly versatile armoured personnel carrier designed to effectively serve a variety of operational scenarios. Roshel’s modular approach allows the vehicle to support a wide range of applications.
This adaptability makes the Senator APC a reliable and adaptable solution for both military and law enforcement agencies. This APC has proven itself in combat conditions, helping our soldiers to perform operational military tasks.
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The Senator APC’s body design is based on North American standards: the engine is located in the forward part behind the grille panel, and the front of the cab contains the driver’s compartment with a seat for the unit commander next to it. The rear part of the armoured personnel carrier, where the crew is accommodated, can be optimised for specific missions. Senator APC has six levels of protection. The maximum one can withstand 30 mm bullets. This means that the entire crew is protected from small arms by reliable armour. The APC crew consists of two people and can carry up to 10 passengers.
The Canadian armoured personnel carrier is quite large: 5.9 m in length, 2.34 m in width and 2.45 m in height.
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The Senator APC has a robust perimeter armour system that provides unrivalled protection. With a ballistic protection level of CEN B7, the vehicle ensures the safety of passengers in high-risk situations and ensures that law enforcement and military personnel can operate with confidence in dangerous and combat situations.
The vehicle is equipped with a weapon of mass destruction protection system that can counteract chemical, biological, radiological and, to some extent, even nuclear (!) attacks by generating clean air inside the pressurised cabin. Therefore, the passengers and crew of the Roshel Senator APC will be able to survive almost any disaster.
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The APC Senator can be called a real bunker, and there is no other way to describe this design, as its armour level corresponds to the B7 standard. The armoured personnel carrier is mounted on a powerful Ford Super Duty pickup truck chassis. Its bottom, which is also armoured, is capable of protecting the capsule from grenades and anti-personnel mines.
To ensure that the weight of the armoured vehicle does not affect its mobility, the Roshel Senator APC is equipped with a 330-horsepower, robust 6.7-litre turbo diesel engine, all the power of which is transmitted to the four wheels of the armoured vehicle through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Senator 4×4 wheel formula is based on the Ford F-Series platform. The wheels have a Run Flat system with on-the-fly inflation.
The armoured vehicle can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h and has a range of 800 km.
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The armament is not as powerful, but it is quite capable of protecting the crew from enemy fire. The armoured personnel carrier can be used to effectively fight the invaders, as the roof of the combat compartment can accommodate various combat modules that can be installed: 7.62 mm machine gun, 12.7 mm machine gun and 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
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In addition to the standard safety features, Roshel equips its vehicles with advanced innovative features. These intelligent solutions increase the operational efficiency and safety of law enforcement agencies. Remote surveillance, monitoring systems and access control devices ensure that tasks are carried out accurately.
Canadian Senator APC armoured vehicles are already helping the Ukrainian military to destroy the enemy at the frontline. I am confident that such a reliable and protected armoured vehicle is very much needed by our defenders. That is why we are sincerely grateful to our Western partners, in particular, our friends from Canada and our Canadian diaspora, for their support and supply of modern weapons.
We believe in our defenders. The invaders will not escape from retribution. Death to the enemies! Glory to the Armed Forces! Glory to Ukraine!
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