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Amphibious Encyclopedia · ATVs and work machines

Sherp

The Sherp is a compact amphibious all-terrain vehicle that rides on four very large, low-pressure tires, which let it float, climb over logs and boulders, and cross snow, thin ice and swamp [1]. It grew from vehicles designed by Saint Petersburg inventor Alexei Garagashyan and has been built in series by a company headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine [1][2][3].

  • ATVs and work machines
  • 2012 to present (series production from 2015)
  • Ukraine (design origins in Russia)

History

The Sherp grew out of vehicles developed in the late 2000s by Alexei Garagashyan, an inventor in Saint Petersburg, Russia [2][3]. According to Wikipedia, Ukrainian entrepreneur Vladimir Shkolnik bought one, saw a market for it, and a design office was set up in Kyiv in 2012 to turn the concept into an industrial product. Production was also organized in Saint Petersburg in 2014, mainly for Russian sales, and series production began in 2015 [2]. A 2020 US defense research report named the maker as Quadro International of Kyiv, which received ISO 9001 certification in 2015 [1].

By 2016 the vehicle was drawing English-language press coverage; StrategyPage described it that year at a price of $65,000 [4]. By 2020 it was sold through dealers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America, with a North American head office in Manitoba [1]. In November 2020 SHERP announced that Argo would manufacture and supply co-branded ARGO SHERP Pro and Ark models for Canada and the United States [6]. The current range includes the PRO 1000, the N 1200 built for Arctic work, the two-section Ark, and firefighting, rescue and unmanned versions [2][7].

Design and how it works

The Sherp is built around its tires. Each is about 63 in (1.6 m) tall and runs at very low pressure, and the driver can raise or lower the pressure while moving to suit the ground [1]. The maker says the tires are linked in a circuit and inflated by engine exhaust gas [6]. Each wheel rim doubles as a fuel tank holding 15.3 US gal (58 L), which with the main tank gives long range in remote areas [1].

The body is a sealed, flat-bottomed hull with a heated two-seat cabin. Steering is by skid steering, giving a turning radius of 8.2 ft (2.5 m) [1]. In water the vehicle floats on its hull and tires and moves by turning its wheels, whose tread works like paddles [1][3]. The 2020 report lists a water speed of 3.7 mph (6 km/h), a climbing ability of 35 degrees and an obstacle height of about 2.3 ft (0.7 m) [1].

Power comes from a Kubota V1505 1.5-liter four-cylinder diesel rated at 44 hp, driving through a five-speed manual gearbox [1][5]. The same report gives a dry weight of 2,866 lb (1,300 kg), a load capacity of 2,204 lb (1,000 kg) and fuel use of about 0.5 to 0.8 US gal (2 to 3 L) per hour [1].

Sherp the Ark and other versions

The Sherp the Ark joins a front and a rear unit with articulated steering. In 2020 it was listed at 31.7 ft (9.65 m) long, with a 2.4-liter Doosan diesel and a load capacity of 7,500 lb (3,400 kg) in the front section [1]. The company says its vehicles serve geologists, oil workers, fishers, hunters and explorers, and it offers firefighting, search and rescue and unmanned ground vehicle versions [1][7]. In 2020 US special operations personnel asked the Defense Systems Information Analysis Center for technical information on the Sherp family [1].

Sources

  1. SHERP Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicles (DSIAC-2020-1230), Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC), US Department of Defense (2020-02-13). dsiac.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TI-Response_Sherp-ATVs_Armistead.pdf
  2. Sherp, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherp
  3. the sherp ATV is an amphibious vehicle for plowing through any terrain, designboom (2017-05-19). www.designboom.com/technology/sherp-atv-19-05-2017
  4. Armor: Sherp The Unstoppable, StrategyPage (2016-03-04). www.strategypage.com/htmw/htarm/articles/20160304.aspx
  5. Sherp ATV Is The Ultimate Vehicle To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse, Motor1 (2020-02-09). www.motor1.com/news/397609/sherp-atv-ultimate-zombie-vehicle
  6. SHERP enters strategic co-branding deal with ARGO, SHERP (2020-11-20). sherpglobal.com/en/news/sherp-enters-strategic-co-branding-deal-with-argo
  7. SHERP: Official global website, SHERP (Quadro Mechanics). sherpglobal.com

Last reviewed November 2026. Spotted something to correct or add? Tell us and include a source.

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WaterCar has designed and built amphibious vehicles in Southern California for more than 25 years. We keep this encyclopedia so anyone curious about vehicles that cross between land and water has one place to start, with the sources listed for every fact.

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