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.

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 (0.3 in) 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 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
 * Pandur II 8x8
 * Pandur II 6x6

Portuguese variants


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.


 * Transporte de pessoal com metralhadora 12.7 – APC armed with 12.7mm machine-gun and capable of transporting 11 soldiers.
 * (Portuguese Army: 147 – Portuguese Marines: 10)


 * Viatura de comando – Command post vehicle.
 * (Portuguese Army: 24 – Portuguese Marines: 3)


 * Viatura equipada com morteiro de 120mm – 120mm mortar carrier. The mortar has a rate of fire of 10 rds/min. and a range of 6 miles (9.6 km). 5 or 6 man crew.
 * (Portuguese Army: 31 – Portuguese Marines: 2)


 * Veículo de recuperação e manutenção – Recovery and maintenance vehicle.
 * (Portuguese Army: 9 – Portuguese Marines: 1)


 * Veículo com peça de 105mm – Variant with 105mm gun turret, either Oto Melara HITFACT or Cockerill CT-CV.
 * (Portuguese Army: 30)


 * Ambulância – Ambulance.
 * (Portuguese Army: 12 – Portuguese Marines: 2)


 * Viatura anti-carro (lança-misseis) – Anti-tank variant with missile launcher.
 * (Portuguese Army: 20)


 * Viatura com canhão de 30mm – IFV version with 30mm cannon (MK30-2 in SP30 turret for army, MK44 in ORCWS turret for marines). Capable of transport 5 to 7 soldiers.
 * (Portuguese Army:32) (Portuguese Marines: 2)


 * Viatura NBQ – NBC reconnaissance vehicle.
 * (Portuguese Army: 2)


 * Viatura de engenharia – Vehicle for combat engineers.
 * (Portuguese Army: 9)


 * Viatura de ponto de accesso de rádio – Radio access point station.
 * (Portuguese Army: 9)


 * Viatura de vigilância do campo de batalha – Variant with battlefield surveillance radar.
 * (Portuguese Army: 4)

Czech variants
The 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 500 armour steel is used for the bottom side of the hull. The standard Pandur II has a flat bottom, but Pandur II CZ has its bottom shaped to the "/\" (reversed "V"). According to some sources this shape is better because it doesn't reflect the mine blast on the 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 much like monitor in troop section. 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. 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) – 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 triple (2×3) 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, 460×7.62mm rounds, and 6×76.2mm 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.
 * (Czech army: 72 ordered )


 * KBV-Pz (průzkumné kolové bojové vozidlo) – reconnaissance variant, partially fitted with a battlefield surveillance radar.
 * (Czech army: 8+8 ordered )


 * KOT-VOV (kolový obrněný transportér – velitelské obrněné vozidlo) – command post vehicle.
 * (Czech army: 11 ordered )


 * KOT-Zdr (kolový obrněný transportér zdravotnický) – ambulance variant.
 * (Czech army: 4 ordered )


 * KOT-Ž (kolový obrněný transportér ženijní) – engineer vehicle.
 * (Czech army: 4 ordered )

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.

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 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.
 * 🇵🇹 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". Also cited were "technical problems" with the vehicle's hydraulic and night vision systems, detected during  the initial trials.