Portugal receives the first Pandur II armoured vehicles

On January 31st, the Minister of Defence attended the official ceremony which marked the delivery of the first nine Pandur II armoured vehicles to the Portuguese Army. They are part of an impressive total of 240 vehicles which the Army will receive until 2010. According to some military sources, these new vehicles could be detached in peacekeaping operations after the second semester of 2008. Some images, from the portuguese news agency LUSA, were published by the spanish blog El Tirador Solitario, a good source for international defence news.

In the image, a Bravia Chaimite V-200, the portuguese-built armoured vehicle which, presently, is used by the Army in foreign missions. The vehicle, shown in the photo along with a french-built Panhard VBL, was used in the military exercise Pristina 072 in the region of Vouzela. In the Military Zone web site, you can check some technical information about the Chaimite (portuguese text only).


Pedro Monteiro

Czech Republic cancels Pandur II contract?

The blog of the Spanish group Circulo Trubia - dedicated to the study of armoured vehicles - has made a brief analyses of the czech cancellation of the contract signed in 2006 with Steyr for 199 Pandur II armoured vehicles. According to this source, such radical decision it is seen more as a strategie to force the austrian company to accept a reduction of the number of vehicles.

[Photo from Steyr-Daimler-Puch.]

Meanwhile, the Portuguese Army is going to evaluate, next week, at Santa Margarida training camp, the first prototype of the Mobile Gun System (MGS) version. The prototype is equipped with a belgian CMI CT-CV turret, armed with a 105mm caliber gun. Such trials are included in the original contract, since Portugal has an option for 33 vehicles configured as MGS.

Pedro Monteiro

New article about the portuguese Pandur II programme

The brazilian web site Defesa Net, dedicated to defence news, published a brief article about the portuguese Pandur II programme. This article does, on the one hand, a review of the production of the Steyr's armoured vehicle in Barreiro and, on the other hand, a brief description of the characteristics portuguese vehicles. In fact, several photographs and data of it were obtained during the ceremony of last September 25th, when the first vehicle produced in Portugal was presented (see the report published on this page).

A vertical photograph showing a frontal view of a portuguese Pandur II, in this case, the first one assembled in Barreiro [click to enlarge].

The full article, avaible only in portuguese, can be consulted here:

http://www.defesanet.com.br/afv1/pt_pandur.htm

Pedro Monteiro

Delivery of the first Pandur II produced by Fabrequipa

Fabrequipa - Steyr’s local industrial partner for the production of 219 of the 260 Pandur II ordered by Portugal - presented the first vehicle produced in Portugal. The ceremony took place in the assembly line, located in Barreiro, yesterday, September 25th.

During the ceremony, Francisco Pita, from Fabrequipa, annouced that soon the company will have "a complete portfolio of products, comprising armoured vehicles and non armoured vehicles, from 4x4 to 8x8, until the maximum weight of 25 tons".
The Portuguese Army will receive, until the end of 2007, a total of 24 armoured vehicles. The first batch is being delivered this week. Besides, Fabrequipa will start, in 2008, the production of 20 vehicles in the amphibian version for the Portuguese Navy.

Furthermore, the portuguese company is studying the market of light 4x4 armoured vehicle. In fact, three foreign companies have already contact it with proposals for the local production of their vehicles. As noted by Francisco Pita, Fabrequipa will participate with such proposal in a contest for the acquisition of 100 vehicles for the Army's light brigade, the Brigada de Reacção Rápida.
Portugal has also taken an option for 33 vehicles configured as Mobile Gun Systems (MGS) and armed with a 105mm gun. A prototype with two different turrets is being tested in Austria and soon will make some trials in Portugal. “These tests will allow the evaluation of both turret’s efficiency and vehicle’s behaviour with the turret”, Vítor Franco said in August. If Lisbon orders such vehicles, their production will begin in 2010, when the current production ceases.

A look at the ICV7, the first Pandur II produced in Portugal. The portuguese media had a strong presence in the ceremony which marked the introduction of a new armoured vehicle, 40 years after the delivery of the veteran Chaimite [click to enlarge].

The assembly line of Fabrequipa is located in Barreiro, near Lisbon. Up to eight vehicles can be produced monthly [click to enlarge].

One of the seven Pandur II delivered this week to the Army, in fact, the first one produced in Portugal, "gave a ride" do the portuguese journalists [click to enlarge].

Pedro Monteiro

Fabrequipa

On the last 21st of August, I have visited the assembly line of the Fabrequipa, located in Barreiro, where a part of the 260 Pandur II armoured vehicles ordered by Lisbon is being produced.

I was kindly received by Eng. Vítor Franco who, namely, described me the process of producting these modern armoured vehicles and the contacts that have been made during the last few months to assure a significant participation of the portuguese industry in the project.

I also had the chance to see and photograph the first seven vehicles produced in Viena and Barreiro and that will be delivered to the portuguese Army in September - in 2008, the Navy will receive 20 vehicles for the marines. At the same time, a few more - in several stages of their production- were being mounted in the Barreiro. In fact, according to Steyr, 24 vehicles will be provided to the portuguese forces until the end of the year.

A portuguese Pandur II in tests in Viena. Noticed the armour plates attached to the hull (photo from Steyr/Buss).

Soon I will post photos of the visit and a few more notes.

Pedro Monteiro

Obs: I would like to express my acknowledges to Mrs. Silke Buss, in representation of Steyr, who was responsable for the organization of this visit.