On Wednesday, June 26, the handover of the last ordered examples of modern TITUS special vehicles for the Army of the Czech Republic took place at the Army Material Security Centre of Technical Services in Štěpánov near Olomouc, Czechia. The supplier, the company Eldis Pardubice, together with the manufacturer and integrator, the company Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV), by this act fulfilled the overall contractual obligation to the Army of the Czech Republic regarding the supply of a total of 62 units of TITUS vehicles of three versions within the required deadline. In June 2019, the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic placed an order for 62 TITUS (TacticalInfantry Transport & Utility System) armoured vehicles on the Tatra 6×6 chassis for the Czech Army, in the versions wheeled armoured command-staff vehicle (KOVVŠ), wheeled armoured communication vehicle (KOVS ) and fire support coordination post (MKPP). The order represents an amount of around 6 billion crowns including VAT. For its needs, the army specifically received 20 pieces of MKPP version vehicles in the first phase, 36 pieces of KOVS vehicles in the second phase and subsequently 6 pieces of KOVVŠ together with six staff workplaces (PS). Eldis Pardubice and TDV completed the delivery of MKPP vehicles in August 2023, then KOVS vehicles followed, and in May and June of this year, the project ended with the handover of KOVVŠ version vehicles.
After the signing of the contract, the entire TITUS special vehicle project for the Czech Army began with the production of 6 prototypes, one of which was the KOVS version, one the KOVVŠ version and four the MKPP version. In 2021 and 2022, these prototypes successfully passed the prescribed company tests at the manufacturer, control tests at accredited test facilities, military tests at units and facilities of the Czech Army and approval tests again at accredited test facilities. After that, mass production started. In the first stages, the company Nexter supplied the company TDV with manufactured armoured bodies, later the know-how of their production was completely transferred to TDV, and the production of the main components of TITUS vehicles and their final assembly took place in the town of Kopřivnice in TDV factory. The deliveries also included operational and accompanying documentation for all versions of the vehicles, as well as catalogs of spare parts and workshop tools.
Compared to the partial schedule, the KOVS version vehicles were completely handed over with a four-month delay, which was caused by problems with the subcontracting of some elements of communication and information systems from abroad. These difficulties objectively resulted from the effects of the global covid-19 pandemic and were also influenced by the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, where the supply of these systems and their components was primarily prioritized at the expense of all projects of non-warring countries. All three special versions intended for the Czech Army are the result of cooperation between several Czech companies and a foreign partner. The main system integrator of the TITUS project is the company TDV, which in cooperation with the French company Nexter Systems was in charge of the production of bodies and the assembly of entire vehicles. Tatra Trucks supplied chassis platforms, and the company Retia ensured the supply of electronic components and special superstructures. The final supplier for the army was the company Eldis Pardubice.
The TITUS special vehicle performs support tasks for the Czech Army units and replaces several outdated systems that are installed on various platforms, mainly the Praga V3S trucks. The KOVVŠ variant is used in the decision-making processes of commanders at the battalion and brigade level during combat management and streamlines the process of command and control of subordinate elements. The KOVS variant is designed to ensure support and interoperability of command and control systems at the brigade and battalion level. They therefore have similar tasks to the KOVVŠ and KOVS Pandur II 8×8 vehicles delivered to the army also by TDV in recent years. The TITUS MKPP vehicles are mainly used by the 13th Artillery Regiment of the Czech Army, where they ensure command processes and also ensure connection and data communication between the individual elements of the combat formation of the artillery section with the superior all-army commander. The MKPP therefore fulfills the role of command and staff workplaces for both coordination and control of fire support, namely at brigade, battalion, divisional and battery levels. After the handover from the manufacturer to the MKPP TITUS, army specialists implemented and installed the modern Adler III CZ fire control system, which ensures full automation of the processes of control and coordination of fire of army artillery.
The global industrial-technology group CSG, owned by Czech entrepreneur Michal Strnad, has key manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, India, Great Britain and the USA and exports its products all over the world. CSG continuously invests in the development of its companies and at the same time expands in its core businesses. The group includes, for example, the Czech car manufacturer Tatra Trucks, the world’s leading manufacturer of small-calibre ammunition Fiocchi and the Czech radar manufacturer Eldis. More than 10,000 employees work in the companies integrated into the CSG Group and in the linked companies. In 2023, the group’s consolidated revenues reached EUR 1.73 billion. CSG’s main fields of expertise are engineering, automotive, railway, aerospace, defence and small calibre ammunition production. Thanks to its strong pro-export orientation, CSG products can be found on all continents.
