General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) is responding to the changing security situation in Europe and presented the latest member of its Pandur Evolution family with a completely new weapon station at Eurosatory in Paris.
The Pandur 6×6 was successfully introduced in the Austrian Armed Forces more than 20 years ago. In 2018, a total of 100 new Pandur Evolution vehicles with improved mine, IED (improvised explosive device) and ballistic protection as well as a more powerful and field-tested diesel engine with more than 25 kW/tonne and 1,600 Nm of torque began to arrive. According to manufacturer General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr (GDELS) in Vienna Simmering, the army now has a “state-of-the-art vehicle” that “not only meets all international requirements, but also sets new standards in the segment”. In order to be able to increasingly deploy these new standards in armed forces beyond Austria, GDELS recently presented a model variant of the Pandur Evolution with the RS6 remote-controlled weapon system from Kongsberg (30 x 113 mm). GDELS will also be demonstrating its flexibility in terms of design in September, when a Pandur Evolution with the Giraffe radar system from Saab and another Pandur Evolution with the Mistral Shorad air defense system from MBDA will be on display at Airpower. A model variation presented at Eurosatory in Paris also attracted a great deal of attention recently. In response to current threat scenarios, a modern impact turret (Integrated Precision Attack Combat Turret) from MBDA and an Akeron MP were integrated into the 6×6 base vehicle.
The 250-kilogram remote-controlled impact station has two MMP anti-tank missiles and a 7.62-mm FN machine gun for self-protection, while day/night sensors are used for reconnaissance and fire control. The Akeron MP missile system – formerly known as Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) – which is also marketed by MBDA, is a network-capable fifth-generation anti-tank guided missile system designed both for dismounted infantry and for integration into combat vehicles with a range of more than 4,000 meters. Depending on the warhead selected, it can be used to engage main battle tanks as well as light armored vehicles, field fortifications and building structures. https://militaeraktuell.at/pandur-evolution-made-in-austria/ Both systems in combination enable a rapid weapon effect with subsequent change of position (“fire-and-forget”) even from confined spaces and are likely to have attracted the interest of several armed forces in Paris. In any case, manufacturer GDELS spoke afterwards of a “satisfactory presentation” that offered “plenty of scope for potential business deals”. In any case, the vehicle fully meets the requirements and needs of modern armies. Even before the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, several countries (including Poland and Hungary) had already decided to upgrade their mechanized units. In addition to the acquisition of main battle tanks, the focus is also very much on comparatively light infantry fighting vehicles, which can be used to transport soldiers safely to and across the battlefield. On the other hand, they can also provide fire support on the ground and upwards, which should not be underestimated. In the case of the Evolution offshoot now presented in Paris, it can even be used to effectively combat enemy tanks. The GDELS offshoot’s flexible assembly options, range of variants, market availability (“off-the-shelf”) and good price-performance ratio now also make it an option for the still unresolved successor to the German Fuchs armored transport vehicle.
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