Tatra Defence Vehicle develops new Pandur 8x8 EVO armoured vehicle
Tatra Defence Vehicle is currently building a prototype of the Pandur 8x8 EVO, which represents a new generation of the versatile eight-wheel platform. The premiere presentation of this novelty to the public is planned at the IDET 2025 trade fair in Brno.
Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV), which is part of the CSG group, can not only produce and deliver Pandur 8x8 vehicles to selected territories, but also prepare modernisation projects and work on their further development, based on the licence it received from General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) in 2015. In addition to the Army of the Czech Republic, TDV has produced and is producing Pandur 8x8 vehicles for other customers. Currently, Tatra Defence Vehicle also services Pandur armoured vehicles serving in the Czech Armed Forces under contract.
The development of the new generation Pandur 8x8 EVO in TDV was initiated based on the interest of foreign customers and the technical and performance potential of the Pandur 8x8 platform for the future. An important impetus for the development of the Pandur 8x8 EVO was, of course, the needs of the Czech army. In the recent past, the Army has declared the need to supplement the numbers of combat vehicles in some of its units with new equipment of this category, including the acquisition of new versions that would meet the needs of the modern battlefield.
At the same time, the question of modernisation of the Pandur II 8x8 CZ, which are only halfway through their life cycle, still remains open. For TDV, the Czech Army is an important and reference partner, therefore the TDV company is ready to meet the requirements of the Army and the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic according to their needs in this area.
Pandur 8x8 EVO – new generation of the 8x8 platform
The design of the Pandur 8x8 EVO vehicle was developed by TDV specialists together with the Austrian company GDELS-Steyr, where the eight-wheeled novelty is partly based on the Pandur 6x6 EVO type designed for the Austrian army. The latter has already ordered nearly a hundred of these new vehicles, which partially complement or replace the previous generation Pandur 6x6.
The Pandur 8x8 EVO will be a next-generation vehicle designed with increased passive and active protection for the crew and vehicle, improved electronic, communications and combat equipment, a new turret and a more powerful powertrain. Compared to the current Pandur II 8x8 CZ in the infantry fighting vehicle version, the maximum weight of the Pandur 8x8 EVO will increase to 25 tonnes. This will be mainly due to the higher ballistic and mine resistance of the hull, which will have a completely redesigned lower part. In addition, the new generation of Pandur does not include seaworthiness, as customers do not require it. The Pandur 8x8 EVO will get a newly designed filter-ventilation system, where filters will be changed from the outside, eliminating the risk of contamination of the vehicle interior. The fuel tanks in the hull will also be relocated to increase protection for the crew and infantry passengers. The air conditioning and heating systems will also be improved for their comfort.
The Pandur 8x8 EVO will have a powerful powerpack to compensate for the higher weight of the vehicle compared to the existing Pandur II 8x8 CZ, so there will be no degradation in on-road or off-road performance. The powertrain will be a Cummins ISL 540 turbo-diesel six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 8.9 litres and an output of 405 kW at 2,200 rpm, with 1,900 Nm of torque at 1,400 rpm. The maximum speed of the new armoured vehicle will be 105 km/h (i.e. the same value as the Pandur II 8x8 CZ introduced in the Czech Armored Forces), and the range will be at least 600 km.
The whole project of the Pandur 8x8 EVO has been conceived from the beginning so that many of its components could be used in the eventual modernisation of the existing Pandur II 8x8 CZ vehicles of the Czech Army. The design of the new Pandur 8x8 EVO and the new components used will also allow the Czech Armed Forces to continue to use a large part of the logistics facilities for both the new machines and the upgraded Pandur II 8x8 CZs.
New armoured turret with active protection system
The next big change will be a new tankless turret with armament. TDV has selected the UT30MK2 turret from Israeli company Elbit Systems for the Pandur 8x8 EVO prototype. Although there are a number of weapon mounts from different manufacturers on the market, in fact only a few of them have today truly proven and required technical solutions in the areas of destructiveness and active vehicle protection, including integrated systems demanded by today's advanced armies. TDV designers have considered a number of aspects, such as their technical and economic parameters, whether they are suitable for incorporation into a chassis platform, but also the export potential of the entire vehicle with a given turret and, last but not least, the possibility of transferring as much of the real share of combat body production to the Czech Republic as possible. The production of the UT30MK2 turret would take place in the Czech Republic, in case of the inclusion of the Pandur 8x8 EVO in the armament of the Czech Army.
The level of ballistic resistance of the turret is optional and in its bowels, in addition to weapon systems, there are ballistic computers and electromechanical controls for armament, ammunition feeders, firing diameter and other equipment. The turret also allows easy access of the crew to the armament from the interior of the vehicle hull without the need to leave it and does not interfere with the space of the hull by any of its elements, which has a positive effect on the spaciousness of the interior for the crew and the infantry passengers as well as on its ergonomics.
The main armament consists of the Mk.44 Bushmaster II 30 mm cannon with elevation -15 to 60 degrees and electric stabilisation. Next to it, a 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted in the turret. A separate launcher houses two Spike-LR/LR2 ATGMs. The commander and the gunner have identical fully stabilised optoelectronic sights with automatic target tracking and hunter-killer function (the commander is able to immediately hand over identified targets to the gunner for destruction, while he himself can continue to search for new targets in the meantime). Both scopes include a high-resolution day TV camera and a thermal imaging camera for night or poor weather conditions; the commander's version of the Pandur 8x8 EVO also has a panoramic view. Compared to the Pandur II 8x8 CZ armoured vehicles currently serving in the Czech Armored Forces, which use the Samson RCWS-30 turret, the observation and search components of the new turret will have double the range.
The UT30MK2 turret can also be fitted with the Iron Fist LC active protection system in a lightweight configuration with a pair of rotatable twin defensive ammunition launchers. There is also an Elaws (Elbit laser warning system) device for locating laser beam irradiation, which indicates to the crew the direction from which the vehicle is irradiated and the type of radiation. The Israeli turret also has eight 76 mm smoke grenade launchers mounted on the front.
