Combat buses … The modern multi-purpose wheeled armored vehicle Pandur II, designed in Austria by the designers of Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge, turned out to be a successful solution for the European market. Pandur II was produced in hundreds of units in armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, while licensed production of wheeled armored vehicles was established in Portugal and the Czech Republic. In addition, the Pandur II armored personnel carriers were purchased by Indonesia, which also expects to deploy their localized production under the name Pindad Cobra 8x8.
From Pandur I to Pandur II
The Pandur II armored personnel carrier was developed by engineers at Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge, which, in turn, is a division of the large corporation General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems (GDELS). The new model of armored vehicles is a further development of the three-axle Pandur I armored personnel carrier, which is actively used by the Austrian army. The Pandur II model is an improved modular version of the previous armored personnel carrier with increased hull and troop compartment dimensions due to the transition to the 8x8 wheel arrangement.
Today, the Austrian wheeled armored vehicle Pandur II is mass-produced in three countries. In addition to Austria, licensed assembly is carried out in the Czech Republic at the Tatra Defense Vehicle enterprise and in Portugal at the Fabrequipa enterprise. In total, in the world, GDELS supports the operation of more than three thousand combat vehicles on all Pandur platforms, of which more than a thousand are operated by member countries of the military-political NATO bloc.
It should be noted that the company itself Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeig is today the largest supplier of wheeled armored vehicles for the needs of the Austrian army. Despite the fact that after the end of World War II, Austria became a neutral country and retains this status to this day, not being a member of any military blocs, the country has retained a compact but well-equipped armed forces. In total, a little more than 50 thousand people serve in the Austrian army. Despite the small size of the armed forces, many of the weapons used by the Austrian military are local developments: from the famous Glock pistols and Steyr AUG assault rifles to Pandur armored personnel carriers and tracked BMP Ulan.
The Pandur I armored personnel carrier with a 6x6 wheel arrangement began to be developed back in 1979, by 1984 the first models of the vehicle appeared, but only in 1993 the first contract was signed for the supply of these armored personnel carriers for the Austrian army. The car was light, floating and at the same time reasonably well protected. Without installing additional armor, it provided all-round protection of the landing force and the crew from 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets. However, by the beginning of the 2000s, the requirements of the military for wheeled armored vehicles had grown significantly. A new combat vehicle was required with better frontal and all-round protection, a more powerful engine and improved mine protection.
The answer to the challenges of the time was work on a modernized version of the armored personnel carrier, initially in the Pandur II version with a 6x6 wheel arrangement. The first such samples were ready by the end of 2001, but very quickly the interest of customers and potential users of the new wheeled armored vehicles began to shift towards the 8x8 model, which finally became the main one for armored personnel carriers in many countries of the world. The first prototype of a four-axle multipurpose combat vehicle was ready in 2003. The model turned out to be very successful and interested foreign customers. The first country to buy the Pandur II in February 2005 was Portugal, and a year later the Czech Republic also ordered new wheeled armored vehicles.
At the same time, the Pandur II model can be produced both in the 6x6 version and in the 8x8 version, the unification of the cars is more than 90 percent. The Austrian army uses both variants of armored vehicles, but the Czech Republic and Portugal produce and operate only Pandur II models with an 8x8 wheel arrangement. Indonesia acquired the same four-axle armored personnel carriers.
Pandur II design features
The basic version of the Pandur II armored personnel carrier received an all-welded steel hull, which, as a rule, is made from grades of steel with an increased level of strength. The supplier of armor plates is the Swedish metallurgical company SSAB, which specializes in the production of high-strength steel. The body of the Pandur II combat vehicle with an 8x8 wheel arrangement has a length of just over 7.5 meters, a width of 2.68 meters, and a height of 2.08 meters (along the roof of the body). At the same time, the useful internal volume of the armored personnel carrier is quite impressive and amounts to 13 cubic meters. The ground clearance is 450 mm, the track width is 2200 mm.
The layout of the vehicle is classic for the vast majority of modern armored personnel carriers in Western countries. In the front part of the body, on the left side, there is the driver's seat, on the right side of it is the engine. The engine compartment is isolated and equipped with fire-fighting equipment. Behind the mechvod there is a place for the commander of a combat vehicle and a spacious airborne compartment. In the version of an armored personnel carrier, the vehicle's crew consists of two people, while it can carry up to 10-12 motorized riflemen. When installing a turret with a 30-mm automatic cannon, the vehicle's capacity drops to 6 infantrymen.
Armor of the hull in the standard design provides frontal protection against armor-piercing incendiary bullets of 14.5 mm and circular protection against shelling with armor-piercing bullets of 7.62 mm. At the same time, the reservation can be easily strengthened by installing attached armor, there is such an opportunity, and the increase in the weight of the vehicle is compensated by a powerful engine. Also, the armored personnel carrier has improved mine protection. Pandur II initially received a V-shaped bottom, as well as special mine-action suspended crew and landing seats developed by Steyr. The landing seats are located along the sides of the hull, the infantrymen sit facing each other. To get out of the car, motorized riflemen use swing doors or a ramp in the rear of the armored personnel carrier.
The total combat weight of the Pandur II in the armored personnel carrier version is 22.5 tons. The installed Cummins ISLe HPCR in-line six-cylinder diesel engine produces a maximum power of 450 hp. The engine is paired with an automatic transmission ZF 6HP602C. The Pandur II has a powerful enough power plant, which allows the armored personnel carrier to accelerate on the highway to a speed of 105 km / h, while the maximum cruising range of the combat vehicle is up to 700 km, and the fuel reserve is 350 liters.
The overwhelming majority of all produced Pandur II have a wheel arrangement of 8x8, while the two front pairs of wheels are steered. The suspension of all wheels is independent. The armored vehicle uses special tires with inserts that provide movement even in the event of puncture or damage by bullets and shrapnel. Like other modern armored personnel carriers on the Austrian armored personnel carrier, a system of centralized tire pressure change is implemented, which allows the driver to easily lower the pressure (to a maximum of 0.8 bar). This is necessary in order to improve the maneuverability of the armored personnel carrier on sandy ground or in swampy terrain.
Armament Pandur II
In the version of the classic armored personnel carrier, the Pandur II carries only machine-gun armament. These can be large-caliber 12, 7-mm machine guns mounted on turrets. At the same time, it is possible to install both a remotely controlled RWS combat module with a large-caliber machine gun, and a simpler version with manual control. The latter option is cheaper, but dangerous for the shooter, since he has to protrude from the body of the combat vehicle to fire.
A distinctive feature of the entire Pandur II platform is its modularity. In total, Steyr has announced 36 different variants of the combat vehicle. For example, on the basis of the Pandur II, versions of a light wheeled tank with a 105-mm gun and a self-propelled 120-mm mortar were created. There are also anti-tank variants of the vehicle, equipped with modern anti-tank systems.
The Czech Republic for its variants of wheeled infantry fighting vehicles Pandur II chose a remotely controlled Samson combat module (RCWS-30) with a 30-mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon and a 7, 62-mm machine gun. In this version, an armament operator is added to the crew, and the number of paratroopers is reduced to 9 people. Additionally, you can place two Spike-LR ATGMs manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael on the module.
The Portuguese army also has two variants of the Pandur II, armed with 30mm automatic cannons. The first one received a standard two-man SP30 turret, which is a lightweight version of the turret for the Ulan infantry fighting vehicle with a 30-mm Mauser MK30-2 cannon and a 7.62-mm machine gun paired with it. In this case, all weapons are stabilized in two planes. The second version is equipped with a remote combat module Elbit with a similar composition of weapons, which can also be supplemented by two ATGM Spike-LR. In this version, the combat vehicle is used by the Portuguese Marines.
