The Pandur is an APC developed and produced by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge (SSF). It was developed during the 1980s as a private venture. In 2003, General Dynamics took over Steyr-Daimler-Puch which is now part of General Dynamics European Land Systems (GD ELS), which is also the parent company of MOWAG, Santa Bárbara Sistemas and GDELS – Germany.

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...
Pandur 6×6 APC
Pandur I in use with the Austrian Army
TypeArmoured personnel carrier
Place of originAustria
Service history
In service1996-present
Used bySee Operators
Production history
Designed1980s
ManufacturerSteyr-Daimler-Puch
Developed intoPandur II (8×8)
Specifications
Mass13.5 tonnes
Length5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Width2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Height1.82 m (6.0 ft)
Crew2 + 8 passengers

Armorprotection against 12.7mm rounds in the 30° frontal arc and against 7.62mm rounds everywhere else
Main
armament
1 x 12.7mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun (other options available)
EngineSteyr 6-cylinder turbo-charged diesel
194 kW (260 bhp) at 2,400 rpm
Operational
range
700 km (430 mi)
Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
Close

Armament

The baseline vehicle is armed with a 12.7 mm (.50 cal) heavy machine gun. Its modular design allows it to be fitted with a variety of weapon systems, including a 20 mm autocannon and an armored two-man 90 mm gun turret. Some Slovenian Pandur 1 (Valuk) are armed with a 40mm automatic grenade launchers with different ammunition like HE, HEDP, smoke and so on.

Variants

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Pandur IFV of the Kuwait National Guard.

Operators

Thumb
Map of Pandur 1 operators in blue with former operators in red

Current operators

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KFOR-MSU Pandur I near the Ibar Bridge, in Mitrovica, Kosovo. Note the special "blue light" system on the back.(2011).

Pandur I

 Austria (71 purchased new, 7 purchased second-hand)
Purchases by the Austrian Armed Forces
  • 68 APC ordered in the 1990s, and it entered service in 1996[9]
  • 3 ambulance purchased for €3.8 million and entered service in 2003[10][11]
  • 6 Pandur Recce & Observation (ISTAR) and 1 ambulance were purchased second-hand from the Belgian Army in 2016, used as spare parts[12]
 Belgium (60 purchased new, 7 sold second-hand)
60 built in Belgium between 1996 and 1998 under licence. Purchase:
  • 46 Pandur Recce & Observation (ISTAR)
  • 10 Pandur Ambulance
  • 4 Pandur Maintenance
6 Pandur Recce & Observation (ISTAR) and 1 ambulance were sold second-hand to the Austrian Armed Forces in 2016, used for spare parts[12]
 Gabon (1)
1 purchased by the Gabonese Army[13][14][15]
 Kuwait (70)
Ordered for the Kuwait National Guard (70 in 6 versions, produced by AV Technology).
 Slovenia (85 purchased, 20 donated)
85 Pandur produced locally under license, known as LKOV Valuk. 20 donated to Ukraine.[16] The variants are:
 Ukraine (20 second-hand)
Donated by Slovenia to the Ukrainian Ground Forces in April 2023.[17]
 United States (50)
Purchased for the US Army (50, produced by AV Technology as the Armored Ground Mobility System for USASOC Special Forces/Special Operations Forces units).[18]

Pandur EVO 6×6

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Pandur EVO MTPz SGrW (Elbit Crossbow 120mm mortar turret)
 Austria (325 ordered, 64 delivered)
Austrian Armed Forces (325 ordered)

Future operators

Pandur EVO 6×6

 United States
The US Department of Defence announced at the end of June 2022 the order of the Armored Ground Mobility System Heavy Platform Vehicles (AGMS) for USD $55.85 million. The procurement should be completed by mid-2025. The vehicle will equip the USASOC Special Forces/Special Operations Forces, and is meant to replace the Pandur I Armored Ground Mobility System.[17][31]

Potential operators

Pandur EVO 6×6

 Germany
The Pandur Evo 6×6 is in competition for 3 programmes:
  • A new multi role vehicle as a successor to the TPz Fuchs.[32] The main variant will be an armoured personnel carrier, and specialised variants are expected to be purchased as well. The vehicles in competition are:
  • A new mortar carrier is part of the German renewal of the indirect fire support programme. It is known as "Zukünftiges System Indirektes Feuer kleiner Reichweite" (ZukSysIndF kRw), and up to 120 such systems are expected to be purchased, and based on the TPz Fuchs successor, so potentially the Pandur Evo 6×6.[33]
 Slovenia (14)
Slovenian army requested 14 new Pandur EVO in late 2019. Austria is offering a government to government contract with Slovenia as GDELS is willing to offer the 14 Pandur EVO to the army. Currently waiting for the new government to decide for the purchase. Estimated cost is around 40 million Euro.

Notes

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