---
title: "Ukraine unveils upgraded armored ambulance \"Novator 2S\": automatic stretcher feed and protection against FPV drones"
description: "\"Ukrainian Armored Vehicles\" showcased a reworked \"Novator 2S\" armored ambulance with an automatic stretcher feed and STANAG 4569 protection. The vehicle, built on a Ford F-550 chassis, is designed to speed up the evacuation of the wounded under the threat of FPV drones."
date: 2026-09-05T13:02:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/novator-2s-armored-ambulance-ukraine-medevac
tags: [ukraine, military-vehicle, armored-ambulance, novator-2s, fpv-drones, medical-evacuation, ford-f550, defence-industry]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine unveils upgraded armored ambulance "Novator 2S": automatic stretcher feed and protection against FPV drones

![Ukrainian Novator 2S armored ambulance with FPV drone protection and automatic stretcher delivery](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/05/novator-2s-broneambulatori-ukraina-medevakuacia/novator-2s-broneambulatori-ukraina-medevakuacia-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- "Ukrainian Armored Vehicles" presented an upgraded "Novator 2S" armored medical evacuation vehicle with an automatic stretcher feed system
- The vehicle is built on a Ford F-550 chassis, has a 300 hp engine, STANAG 4569 Level 1/2 protection, and Level 2a/2b mine protection
- The spread of FPV drones has made armored medevacs a key means of evacuation from hazardous areas
- The medical compartment can carry up to 4 lying or 6 seated wounded; there is debate over the exact capacity

The company "Ukrainian Armored Vehicles" (a limited liability company that is part of the National Association of Ukraine's Defense Industry — NAUDI) demonstrated an upgraded version of the "Novator 2S" armored medical evacuation vehicle. RBC-Ukraine journalists attended the event, where the company's CEO Vladyslav Belbas, Colonel Igor Plys of the Medical Forces Command of the Ministry of Defense, and military medics with combat experience presented the reworked medical compartment, the wounded-loading system, and the key design changes to the vehicle. The demonstration took place against the backdrop of the fact that, according to the participants, the spread of FPV drones has radically changed the tactics of medical evacuation at the front.

### How FPV drones have reshaped medical evacuation

According to Colonel Igor Plys, armored vehicles have become one of the key means of evacuating the wounded from hazardous areas. The operating scheme remains two-stage: from the front line, the injured are first evacuated on light vehicles, and then armored medevacs deliver them to stabilization points or other medical units. However, as military medics emphasize, the kill zone has expanded, and routes that were previously considered relatively safe are now under constant threat of drone attacks. This increases the time to deliver the wounded and makes such vehicle characteristics as armor protection, speed, cross-country capability, and the ability to provide care while on the move critically important.

### What changed in the upgraded "Novator 2S"

In the new configuration, the armored vehicle received an automatic system for raising, lowering, and feeding stretchers — a solution designed to simplify the loading of seriously wounded patients and reduce loading time. The manufacturer also reworked the stretcher design, added additional lighting in the medical compartment, and revised the placement of some equipment. As intended by the developers, all these changes should give medics more working space and allow them to perform the full range of life-sustaining procedures — cardiovascular and respiratory support, infusion therapy, blood transfusion — directly while the vehicle is moving.

### Technical specifications and protection

The "Novator 2S" is built on a reinforced Ford F-550 chassis and is equipped with a 300-horsepower Ford V8 diesel engine. The top speed is up to 140 km/h, and the highway range is at least 500 kilometers. The vehicle is fitted with a Run-Flat system that allows it to continue moving after a tire is damaged. Ballistic protection meets the STANAG 4569 Level 1 or 2 standard depending on the configuration, and mine protection is Level 2a/2b. The medical compartment provides a seat for a combat medic, stretcher mounting points, equipment niches, and mounts for infusion solutions. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle can carry up to four lying or six seated wounded.

### Operator feedback: what matters to the crew

Viktoria Husak, commander of a tactical evacuation company of the National Police's "Lyut" Joint Assault Brigade, noted that during the period of operation the manufacturer has already addressed a number of comments from military medics. For evacuation crews, in her words, the most important factors remain speed, reliability, protection, and cross-country capability: with severe injuries, every minute counts, and the vehicle must deliver the wounded to a stabilization point as quickly as possible. At the same time, military medics emphasize that a larger capacity does not always mean the ability to fully monitor the condition of all wounded simultaneously, so when modernizing, it is important to consider not only the number of places but also the ergonomics of the medical compartment. Igor Plys added that comments on the internal equipment were passed to the manufacturer directly on the basis of the vehicle's combat use experience.

### Contradictory data

The original RBC-Ukraine material and the manufacturer's official specifications state that the "Novator 2S" carries up to four lying or six seated wounded. However, the outlet Focus.ua, in the headline and description of the same presentation, cites the figure "five wounded." The one-place difference may be explained by a simplification of the wording when retelling (for example, it may refer to the average or optimal number of patients simultaneously attended by a medic), but no exact clarification from the manufacturer has been published in available sources as of the time of preparing this material. In addition, the outlet Delo.ua emphasizes the launch of the vehicle into serial production, whereas RBC-Ukraine and Telegraf.com.ua speak of a demonstration of the "upgraded version." Both statements are probably compatible — the upgraded configuration appears to be what has been put into series — but the chronology of events is presented with a slight shift in emphasis across the different materials.

### Context and significance for the Defense Forces

The appearance of the upgraded "Novator 2S" coincides with a period when Ukrainian military medics are increasingly talking about the need to have a full-fledged "mobile resuscitation block" on board an evacuation vehicle. As the participants of the demonstration note, armor alone does not solve the problem if it is impossible to stabilize a seriously wounded patient inside before arriving at a medical facility. The automatic stretcher feed, reworked ergonomics, and the retention of high cross-country capability on the Ford F-550 chassis make the vehicle one of the most comprehensive offerings on the Ukrainian military medical equipment market. According to representatives of the Medical Forces Command, putting the upgraded version into serial production will allow meeting the growing demand from frontline units for protected transport capable of operating under a constant drone threat.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["Novator 2S" combines armor protection and resuscitation capabilities: everything about the new medevac](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/novator-2s-poednue-bronezahist-i-mozhlivosti-1788606073.html) - Первичный источник демонстрации. Подтверждает участников, характеристики, изменения в медотсеке, цитаты Плиса и Гусак. Ёмкость: 4 лежачих / 6 сидящих.
- ["Armor is armor!": the "Novator 2S" is ready to meet the Defense Forces' needs for evacuation vehicles](https://news.telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/5949270-bronya-eto-bronya-novator-2s-gotov-zakryt-potrebnosti-sil-oborony-v-evakuatsionnykh-avto) - Подтверждает факт презентации и акцент на бронезащите как ключевом преимуществе. Согласуется с основной версией.
- [Can carry 5 wounded: Ukraine unveils new "Novator 2S" armored evacuation vehicle](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/718282-v-ukraine-v-seriynoe-proizvodstvo-zapustili-broneavtomobil-novator-2s-video) - Подтверждает факт презентации, но в заголовке указывает «5 раненых», что расходится с формулировкой «4 лежачих / 6 сидящих» из РБК-Украина и производителя. Возможное упрощение при пересказе.
- [The "Novator 2S" armored vehicle has been put into serial production (VIDEO)](https://delo.ua/ru/news/broneavtomobil-novator-2s-zapustili-v-seriinoe-proizvodstvo-450625/) - Подтверждает запуск в серийное производство. Совместимо с демонстрацией обновлённой версии: вероятно, именно доработанная конфигурация поставлена в серию.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many wounded can the "Novator 2S" carry?
**A:** According to the manufacturer and RBC-Ukraine, up to four lying or six seated wounded. The outlet Focus.ua cites the figure "five" in its headline, which is probably a simplification. No exact official clarification of the discrepancy was available at the time of publication.

### Q: What chassis is the "Novator 2S" built on, and what are its main specifications?
**A:** The vehicle is built on a reinforced Ford F-550 chassis with a 300 hp Ford V8 diesel engine. The top speed is up to 140 km/h, and the highway range is at least 500 km. It has a Run-Flat system for driving after a tire puncture.

### Q: What is the armor protection level of the "Novator 2S"?
**A:** Ballistic protection meets the STANAG 4569 Level 1 or 2 standard depending on the configuration, and mine protection is Level 2a/2b.

### Q: What is new in the upgraded version compared to the previous one?
**A:** An automatic system for raising, lowering, and feeding stretchers has been added, the stretcher design has been reworked, lighting in the medical compartment has been added, and the placement of some medical equipment has been revised. The goal is to speed up the loading of seriously wounded patients and give medics more space.

### Q: Why have armored medevacs become especially important right now?
**A:** The spread of FPV drones has expanded the kill zone and made previously safe routes dangerous. An armored vehicle allows the crew to be protected while life-sustaining procedures (infusion, blood transfusion, respiratory support) are performed on the move, which is critical as the time to reach a stabilization point increases.