Portuguese Pandur

Further information: Pandur II

In 2005 the Portuguese government signed a deal worth 364 million euros to aquire 260 Pandur II, with a option for further 33 worth 140 million euros, to equip the Portuguese Intervention Brigade of the Portuguese Army and the marines of the Portuguese Navy.

The first 41 Pandur II were manufactured in Austria, the further 219 are being manufactured by Fabrequipa in Portugal.

History

• 15/11/2004 Finish Patria fails to deliver final proposal on legal time. Some sources alleged that this was intended to avoid international repercussions because the operational tests has put the AMV at third position after Steyr Pandur II and Swiss MOWAG Piranha.
• 2005 The contract is signed; the production would run from the year 2006 to 2009 at facilities in Portugal and at plants of General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems.
• 22/12/2005 Finish Patria, one of the loosing concurrents, alleges misconduct to the Public Attorney’s Office of the Administrative Court in Lisbon.
• 05/05/2006 Fabrequipa, the plant at Portugal, is certified to manufacture the Pandur II.
• 12/2007 Operational tests of a Pandur equiped with the CT-CV turret, with a 105mm gun, from belgian CMI Defence.
• 2008 Operational tests of a Pandur equiped with the Hitfact turret, with a 105mm gun, from italian Oto Melara.
• 12/04/2010 Portuguese MoD requires Steyr to adapt 10 Pandur with a turret armed with a 105mm gun. No further information is disclosed but this may implies that the option for further 33 Pandur will not be used. The possible turrets are the italian Oto Melara Hitfact and the belgian CMI Defence CT-CV, both of which already made operational tests at the training campo of portuguese mechanized forces, the Campo Militar de Santa Margarida, in the years of 2007, 2008.

Versions

• 115 (Army 105, Marines 10) Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) armed with 12.7mm machine gun and capable of transporting 11 soldiers.
• 8 (Army 7, Marines 1) Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) armed with remotelly controlled 12.7mm machine gun and capable of transporting 11 soldiers.
• 32 (Army 30, Marines 2) Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) armed with 30mm cannon (MK30-2 in SP30 turret for army, MK44 in ORCWS turret for marines) and capable of transporting 5 to 7 soldiers. The ORCWS can operateATGW Spike LR.
• 33 (Army 33, Marines 0) Mobile Gun System (MGS) armed with 105mm gun turret, either Oto Melara HITFACT or CMI Defence CT-CV.
• 15 (Army 15, Marines 0) Anti-tank Guided Missile Vehicle armed whith TOW.
• 33 (Army 31, Marines 2) Mortar Carrier (MC) armed with 120mm mortar with a crew of 5 to 6.
• 19 (Army 16, Marines 3) Commander Vehicle (CV)
• 7 (Army 7, Marines 0) Recovery and maintenance vehicle (RMV).
• 10 (Army 10, Marines 0) Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV).
• 2 (Army 2, Marines 0) Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV).
• 9 (Army 9, Marines 0) Engineer Squad Vehicle (ESV).
• 6 (Army 6, Marines 0) Radio access point station.
• 4 (Army 4, Marines 0) Reconnaissance and surveillance vehicle.

The Pandur II for the marine will be amphibious and have a cargo ramp instead of the original doors.

Armour

The Pandur II 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.