The Czechoslovak Group’s Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV) is making strides in advancing military technology with its development of the new generation Pandur II 8×8 EVO (Evolution) armored vehicle. This initiative comes as the 107 Pandur II 8×8 CZs, primarily produced in the Czech Republic and delivered to the national army between 2009 and 2013, are gradually becoming obsolete. This evolution signifies a proactive approach to modernizing defense capabilities, leveraging prior experience to create a cutting-edge armored vehicle. To address this, the focus is on supplying vehicles for the Czech 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade, including an innovative mortar version, while also targeting the international market for export.
The forthcoming Pandur II 8×8 EVO draws heavily from the knowledge gained through the utilization of older Czech Pandur IIs, incorporating enhancements like the improved KOVS and KOVVS command and communications variants. These advancements are geared toward significantly enhancing ballistic protection. Moreover, the vehicle’s development takes inspiration from the Pandur EVO 6×6, previously provided to the Austrian Army by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) Steyr. Notably, TDV has forged a strategic partnership with GDELS Steyr, further enriching the project’s potential through collaborative efforts. The integration of improved ballistic protection and insights from successful partnerships reflects a commitment to ensuring enhanced security for the Czech armed forces.
The Pandur II is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6×6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge. Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge is part of General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), which is also the parent company of MOWAG of Switzerland and Santa Bárbara Sistemas of Spain. It is available in two versions, a 6×6 and an 8×8 version; both versions are designed to be as offroad capable as possible whilst providing sophisticated protection for their occupants, which also includes protection against mines. The Pandur II can be used in cold (arctic) and hot (desert) climates, in urban regions, impassable terrain, as well as in waters such as rivers, lakes, and coast waters.
The Pandur 8×8 APC is manufactured in Austria while export versions are also built in the Czech Republic. A first batch of 17 Pandur II were delivered to the Czech Army by 2012, with the remainder rolled out in 2013. The Czech army received the following variants: 72 IFVs with the RCWS-30 turret, 11 command post vehicles, 8 reconnaissance vehicles with and 8 without radar, 4 ambulances and 4 engineer variants. Two more variants were ordered in 2017. Compared to the previously introduced Pandur II CZ 8×8 vehicles in the Czech Army, the newly delivered versions have significantly higher ballistic and mine protection according to the STANAG 4569 standard, thanks to the introduction of new additional ceramic armor plates and reinforcement of the vehicle chassis. In 2023, the Czech army operates 127 Pandur II vehicles in 9 variants.
