Tatra Defense Vehicle has fulfilled the Army contract for special Pandur vehicles

Author: TDV|Caption: Pandur II

The Army of the Czech Republic took over the last ordered pieces of special versions of Pandur II CZ vehicles from Tatra Defense Vehicle. The Kopřivnice company belonging to the Czechoslovak Group thus fulfilled its obligations arising from the contract concluded in 2017.

In January 2017, the Ministry of Defense ordered a total of 20 Pandur II CZ 8x8 vehicles in the communications and command-staff versions with a total value of almost CZK 1.7 billion excluding VAT. The development and subsequent production of vehicles took place in the Czech Republic and involved a number of domestic companies and institutions with the support of General Dynamics European Land Systems, which had previously granted licensing rights for the production of Pandurs in the Czech Republic. In addition to the manufacturer and the main integrator - Tatra Defense Vehicle (TDV) - these were, for example, Retia, the Military Research Institute, the Military Technical Institute of the Land Forces, Ray Service, Optokon, Interlink CS, B.O.I.S. Filters and more.

Due to the fact that the new special versions of KOVVŠ (wheeled armored command and staff vehicle) and KOVS (wheeled armored communications vehicle) are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, more than half of their price consists of special communication, electronic and other equipment, largely also developed and manufactured by Czech companies. The development of new pandurs for the Czech Army was completed in the autumn of 2019, when they passed military tests.

In December 2019, the Army took over the first 4 new vehicles. "The successful handover of the vehicles was preceded by the completion of an extensive set of tests in the form of company and control tests at accredited testing laboratories and military tests in training areas and repair bases of the Czech Army, which took almost 11 months to implement. Each stage of the testing process was assessed as satisfactory and it was not necessary to suspend or even repeat the tests," Tomáš Mohapl, General Manager of Tatra Defense Vehicle, said.

In 2020, TDV gradually produced and handed over another 16 vehicles to the Czech Armed Forces. In total, the Army received 6 pieces of KOVVŠ Pandur II CZ 8x8 and 14 pieces of KOVS Pandur II CZ 8x8. The delivery also included 6 field command posts, which are functionally connected to the command and staff Pandurs. They take the form of inflatable tents with a capacity of 10 workplaces with computer terminals, thanks to which it will be possible to expand the number of members of the staff of superior command levels directly in the field. In the coming years, TDV will also provide service support for new special Pandurs of the Czech Army, as it does on the basis of an agreement with the Ministry of Defense in the case of previously introduced versions of Pandurs produced at the turn of the first and second decades.

Most of the delivered vehicles are now part of the equipment of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade. "Newly delivered wheeled armored vehicles, communications and command-staff are an important segment that will strengthen our command posts and significantly contribute to improving the command and control system at both the brigade and battalion levels. At the same time, it will qualitatively strengthen our ability to deploy on the territory of the Czech Republic, but also abroad. The vehicles are equipped with a specialized infrastructure of communication and information systems, but at the same time they are characterized by high maneuverability, mobility and throughput and provide sufficient ballistic protection for the crew, which is crucial for us. Such sophisticated technology is not only a strengthening element of the entire architecture of the command and control system, but also a commitment and a great challenge, especially in the training of our members," the commander of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade Colonel Gšt. Josef Trojánek, said.

Thanks to a special purpose, the Pandurs of the communications and command-staff versions show differences from the pandurs, which have been serving in the Czech Army for over ten years. TDV designers, for example, designed a new body, mainly due to the installation of a number of electronic systems. The main change is a significant increase in ballistic and mine protection according to STANAG 4569 compared to the existing pandurs used in the Czech Army. This was achieved primarily by installing new additional plates of ceramic armor and strengthening the chassis parts of the vehicle. Thanks to these changes, the total weight of both versions has also increased, which is why the brake system has also been strengthened.

The motorization of the new pandurs is identical to the previous designs. It is therefore a six-cylinder Cummins ISLe T450 HPCR turbodiesel with an output of 335.6 kW, which is able to drive the armor up to a speed exceeding 100 km / h with a weight exceeding 22 t. The range is approximately 700 km, the vehicles are able to overcome ditches up to 2.2 m wide, vertical obstacles up to the height of 0.6 m and overcome watercourses 1.5 m deep.