Pandur II

Pandur 8X8 APC
Pandur II 8x8 being tested by the Czech Army
Type	Armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	Austria
Production history
Manufacturer	Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Specifications
Weight	22 tonnes
Length	7.02 m (23.0 ft)
Width	2.67 m (8 ft 9 in)
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Crew	2 + 12 (APC version)
Main armament	Up to 105 mm gun in turret
Secondary armament	Machine gun
Engine	6-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled turbo-charged intercooled diesel 335 kW
Payload capacity	8.5 tonnes
Operational range	Approx. 700 km
Speed	105 km/h (65 mph) (road)

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 7.62 to 14.5 mm (0.300 to 0.571 in) 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 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.

Versions

• Pandur I 6x6^[1]
• Pandur II 8x8^[2]
• Pandur II 6x6^[3][4]

Variants

Portuguese variants

A Portuguese Army Pandur II APC.

The 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. 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 105hp 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 Corp.

• 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 (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided Improved Target Acquisition System) missile launcher
• 30 Infantry Fighting Vehicle – variant with SP30 turret with 30mm gun.
• 6 Signals
• 4 surveillance

Czech variants

Pandur II being tested by the Czech Army

The Czech Pandur II 8x8 CZ differs from the original version in that a new breakwater controlled from inside the vehicle has been fitted, and the driver's hatch is fitted for CDND-1 night vision apparatus. The armor is designed to protect against 14.5x114 (with RAFAEL add-on passive armour). SSAB ARMOX 500^[5] armour steel is used for the bottom side of the hull which has an intermediate floor with suspended from wall and ceiling mounts rather than floor mounted. The standard Pandur II has a flat bottom, but Pandur II CZ has its bottom shaped to the "/\" (reversed "V") which some sources maintain reduces the effect of mine blast on passengers.

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. The 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.

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.

• KBVP (kolové bojové vozidlo pěchoty)^[10][11] – 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 (2×4) 76mm Wegmann smoke grenade launcher tubes. Fire-ready ammunition accommodates 140 high-explosive (HE) and 60 armor-piercing (AP) 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 (circa 3,5 meters above the ground). 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 (commander can take over weapons's control or designate target for gunner). 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.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]}

(Czech army: 72 ordered^[19])

• KBV-Pz (průzkumné kolové bojové vozidlo) – reconnaissance variant, partially fitted with a battlefield surveillance radar.

(Czech army: 8+8 ordered^[19])

• KOT-VOV (kolový obrněný transportér – velitelské obrněné vozidlo) – command post vehicle.

(Czech army: 11 ordered^[19])

• KOT-Zdr (kolový obrněný transportér zdravotnický) – ambulance variant.

(Czech army: 4 ordered^[19])

• KOT-Ž (kolový obrněný transportér ženijní) – engineer vehicle.

(Czech army: 4 ordered^[19])

Slovenian variant

The 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.^[20][21]

Operators

Map of Pandur 2 operators in blue

Current operators

• Austrian Army – 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.
• Czech Army – 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.^[19]
• Portuguese Army – 233 Pandur II 8x8, Portuguese Navy (Marines) – 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".^[22] Also cited were "technical problems"^[23] with the vehicle's hydraulic and night vision systems, detected during the initial trials.

References

1. "Picture: Pandur I 6x6". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
2. "Picture: Pandur II 8x8". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
3. "Picture: Pandur II 6x6". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
4. "Picture: Pandur II 6x6". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
5. "Armour Plate for Civil Protection". SSAB Oxelsound. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
6. Orlaco BV. "Orlaco company". Orlaco.nl. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
7. Picture: Orlaco camera mirror
8. "RCWS - Remote Controlled Weapon Stations". Israeli Weapons. Archived from the original on 5 March 2003. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
9. The Mini-Smason RCWS by which is Czech IFV equipped
10. "Samson RCWS-30". Israeli weapons. Archived from the original on 5 May 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
11. "RCWS-30" (PDF). Retrieved 2 December 2011.
12. Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8 (notice two new cameras)
13. Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8 (Also notice new one inch thick "water shield")
14. Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8
15. "Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
16. "Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
17. "Picture: Czech IFV Pandur 8x8". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
18. "AUT – Pandur II". forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
19. http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/czech-military-takes-over-first-17-pandur-ii-apcs/400267&id_seznam=2054
20. "Krpan 8x8". Armas.si. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
21. ARG. "Krpan Armored Personnel Carrier". Military-Today.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
22. Correio da Manhã newspaper, Ministro cancela entrega de novos blindados. Accessed 2 October 2007
23. Correio da Manhã newspaper, "Defesa: Pandur 8x8 sem sistema de vigilância nocturna". Accessed 2 October 2007.

External links

• army-technology.com
• Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge