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The Pandur II 8x8 is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge and is currently in production for the Portuguese Armed Forces. Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge is part of General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems, which is also the parent company of MOWAG of Switzerland and Santa Bárbara Sistemas of Spain. The most significant change is the introduction of an 8x8 configuration with more interior space. The construction is an all-welded steel hull with optional armour upgrades. The basic armour package is designed to protect against 7.62mm (0.3in) to 14.5mm armour piercing rounds (customers may select a choice of armour thickness). The vehicle is designed to be transportable in a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The driver is seated on the left at the front and the engine is to the right. The driver is provided with a single piece hatch cover as well as three day periscopes, one of which can be replaced by a passive periscope for night missions. The vehicle is fitted with a two stage synchronized distribution gear box for both road and cross country use. Improved suspension will be fitted for optimum cross country mobility. The vehicle is designed to take a number of turret systems (such as the SP 30 turret also mounted on the ASCOD AFV of the Spanish and Austrian Armies), or it can be used as a standard APC with a mounted machine gun. With the turret the vehicle can carry six infantry. Without the turret, it can carry 12. The Pandur 8x8 APC is manufactured in Austria while export versions are also built in the Czech Republic and licensed versions in Barreiro, Portugal.
[edit] Versions[edit] Variants
[edit] Portuguese variantsThe VBR Pandur II (Viatura Blindada de Rodas) for the Portuguese Army is fitted with Steyr add-on armour that provides Level 4 protection according to STANAG 4569. The vehicles for the marines are equipped with Level 3 armour and have a cargo ramp instead of the original doors.
[edit] Czech variantsThe Czech Pandur II 8x8 CZ differs from its original version in a new, from inside of the vehicle controlled breakwater, and driver's hatch equipped with CDND-1 night vision aparature. The armor is designed to protect against 14.5x114 (with RAFAEL add-on passive armour). SSAB ARMOX 5000[5] armour steel is used for the bottom side of the hull. Standard Pandur II has a flat bottom, but Pandur II CZ has its bottom shaped to the "/\" (reversed "V"). Due to some sources this shape is better because it doesn't reflect the mine blast on the wheels. There are three robust cameras (left, right and rear) giving the ability to driver to reverse without leader's help or observe around the vehicle. Driver has one monitor for this purpose. The cameras are from Orlaco company[6] much like monitor in troop section.[7] Czech Pandurs II 8x8 also include navigation, information, communication and identification system. The Pandurs without RCWS-30 will be unarmed or equipped with Rafael Mini-Samson RCWS-12.7[8][9]. Rafael RCWSs bought by Czech republic: 78x RCWS-30, 14 RCWS-30 (with no Spike-LR missiles), 93 Mini-Samson RCWS units that carry 12.7mm machine gun. Its Cummins ISLe T450 455HP diesel engine can be removed and replaced in 30 minutes.
[edit] Slovenian variantThe KOV "Krpan" (Kolesno Oklepno Vozilo) from Sistemska Tehnika Armas is the Slovenian license version of the Pandur II with a number of improvements and with 55% of local components and subsystems. This APC was proposed to the Slovenian Army but lost competition to the Patria AMV.[24][25] [edit] Operators
The Austrian Army has stated a requirement for up to 128 Pandur II, to equip two army battalions, but is currently lacking funds for this purchase.
On January 2005 the Czech Republic ordered 199 Pandurs II 8x8 in 18 variants for almost 1 billion USD.[27][28] The Pandur II is to replace the outdated OT-64 armored vehicle which the then communist-run Czechoslovak army introduced in the 1960s. However the contract was cancelled on December 2007, because the vehicles failed military tests and the producer was not able to fix problems in time. 11.12.2007 - Czech Republic announced Pandur II does not meet 24 contract points from 94 total. 8.1.2008 - Czech Republic "definitely" withdraw from contract. 29.2.2008 - Czech government is still negotiating with Steyr company about the contract. Now it seems probable that Czech armed forces with order only 107 Pandurs (so the price of contract should be approximetely halved). 13.3.2009 - The Czech defence ministry said it had signed a deal worth 539 million euros ($700 million) with General Dynamics for the purchase of 107 Pandur II armoured vehicles. A first batch of 17 Pandur II will be delivered to the Czech army by the end of the year, with the remainder to be rolled out by 2013. The Czech army will receive the following variants: 72 IFV's with the RCWS-30 turret, 11 command post vehicles, 8 reconnaissance vehicles with and 8 without radar, 4 ambulances and 4 engineer variants.[29]
In 2005 the Portuguese Government signed a deal for 353 vehicles in 15 different variants, of which 218 will be produced locally under license by Fabrequipa. The purchase price was EUR 364 million. The armament includes variants with Steyr SP 30 turrets and ranges from cal. 12.7 mm machine gun to cal. 120 mm mortar. The first batch of vehicles arrived in early 2008. On October 1, 2007 the first batch was rejected by the Portuguese Government, citing "unfulfilled technical requirements".[30] Also cited were "technical problems"[31] with the vehicle's hydraulic and night vision systems, detected during the initial trials. [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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