Pandur II
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.
Design
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 armour-piercing rounds. 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, or it can be used as a standard APC with a mounted machine gun.With the turret the vehicle can carry 6 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.
The Czech company Excalibur Army has offered their Pandur 8x8 wheeled armored vehicle for the Philippine Army's Wheeled APC acquisition project under the Horizon 2 phase. EA mentioned that the PA has requested for options of either a manned or unmanned 25mm or 30mm turret, or an RCWS with 50cal. heavy machine gun. EA is also participating in the Philippine Army's M113 Firepower Upgrade project, offering either 25mm or 30mm manned turret with co-axial 7.62mm machine gun, or RCWS system depending on PA requirements. Apparently for this project the PA prefer a manned turret solution.
Versions
- Pandur I 6x6
- Pandur II 8x8
- Pandur II 6x6
Variants
Portuguese variants
The VBR Pandur II 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. Due to the failure of delivery times by the manufacturer, the defense ministry took the decision to terminate the contract in October 2012 to that date had been delivered 166 vehicles, it then began a process of negotiation leading to an agreement in September 2014, this deal set the delivery of 22 more vehicles until August 2015. The original contract incorporated the option to acquire 33 Mobile Gun System with 105mm tower, but were never hired. This version were tested in Portugal in Santa Margarida Military Camp vehicles Pandur II with HITFACT 105 OTO Melara turrets and CT-CV 105 hp CMI Defence. From the original contract there will not be delivered 9 engineering vehicles, 31 with 120-mm mortar, two ambulance, 10 anti-tank, and one recovery vehicle, as well as all 20 amphibious intended for the Marine Corps.- 105 Infantry Carrier Vehicle with 12.7mm machine gun
- 7 Infantry Carrier Vehicle with 12.7mm machine gun installed in RWS turret - turret is a Protector M151.
- 16 Command Vehicle
- 7 Recovery Vehicle
- 8 Medical Evacuation
- 5 Anti-tank Guided Missile – variant with TOW ITAS missile launcher
- 30 Infantry Fighting Vehicle – variant with SP30 turret with 30mm gun.
- 6 Signals
- 4 surveillance
Czech variants
There are three robust cameras giving the ability to driver to reverse without leader's help or observe around the vehicle. The driver has one monitor for this purpose. The cameras are from Orlaco company much like monitor in troop section.
Czech Pandurs II 8x8 also include navigation, information, communication and identification system.
Pandurs without RCWS-30 will be unarmed or equipped with Rafael Mini-Samson RCWS-12.7. Rafael RCWSs bought by Czech republic: 78x RCWS-30, 14 RCWS-30, 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.
- KBVP – IFV version equipped with upgraded Rafael RCWS-30. Upgraded RCWS-30 include: 30mm ATK MK 44, optional launcher pod for two RAFAEL Spike-LR anti-tank/multi-purpose guided missiles, coaxial 7.62mm machine gun M240, and two quadruple 76mm Wegmann smoke grenade launcher tubes. Fire-ready ammunition accommodates 140 high-explosive and 60 armor-piercing 30mm rounds, 2 Spike-LR missiles, 250×7.62mm rounds, and 8×76.2mm smoke grenades. The missiles container is newly located vertically. In contradistinction to the original RCWS-30, the Czech RCWS has two new CCD/IR cameras with rangefinder/laser designator with 360° coverage. The original camera was replaced by a new one and a second camera is mast-mounted on the right side of the RCWS. The commander's hatch visor was removed. With new mast-mounted camera the commander gained new ability to independently observe the surroundings and to seek and track enemies. All Czech IFVs will be equipped with mast-mounted meteorological sensor with laser illumination warner connected to FCS. This mast-mounted system will be located on the left side of RCWS just like commander's independent thermal viewer.
- KBVP M1 - modified variant for service in Afghanistan, with additional multilayer and bar armour, improved electronics, removed water propellers. Four were modified in August 2010.
- KBV-Pz – reconnaissance variant, partially fitted with a battlefield surveillance radar.
- KOT-VOV – command post vehicle.
- KOT-Zdr – ambulance variant.
- KOT-Ž – engineer vehicle.
Slovenian variant
Operators
- – Austrian Armed Forces – On 22 December 2016, the Austrian Ministry of Defence ordered 34 Pandur 6x6 EVO vehicles for 105 million Euro from GDELS Steyr.
- – A first batch of 17 Pandur II were delivered to the Czech Army by 2012, with the remainder rolled out in 2013. The Czech army received 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.
- – On 24 November 2016 Indonesian government ordered an undisclosed number of Pandur II 8x8 APCs for US$39 million from the Czechoslovak Group which has an agreement with General Dynamics to produce, maintain, and market these vehicles in Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.. Contract for 22 another vehicles were signed in April 12th 2019 which will be manufactured locally as Pindad Cobra 8x8.
- – Portuguese Army 233 Pandur II 8x8, Portuguese Navy – 20 Pandur II 8x8. 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 1 October 2007 the first batch was rejected by the Portuguese Government, citing "unfulfilled technical requirements". Also cited were "technical problems" with the vehicle's hydraulic and night vision systems, detected during the initial trials.