Czech Defence Ministry plans to buy additional batch of 20 Pandur II infantry fighting vehicles

Defence & Security News - Czech Republic
 
 
Czech Defence Ministry plans to buy additional batch of 20 Pandur II infantry fighting vehicles
The Czech Defence Ministry will place an order for the supply of 20 Pandur infantry fighting vehicles in July, Deputy Defence Minister Jiri Borovec told CTK (Czech News Agency) yesterday, adding that the vehicles are needed for the military staff and liaison purposes. The ministry has not disclosed the contract's expected price.
     
Czech Defence Ministry plans to buy additional batch of 20 Pandur II infantry fighting vehicles 640 001 Czech Pandur II CZ M1 armoured infantry fighting vehicle
     
The Czech military actually has 107 Pandur II CZ M1 wheeled armoured infantry fighting vehicle, produced by the Austrian company Steyr, which it bought for $611 mn a few years ago.

Czech Armed Forces' Chief-of-staff Petr Pavel yesterday said it was logical for the units that use Pandurs, and need more APCs, to receive Pandurs again.

"The [new] vehicle should not markedly differ from the rest of the APC fleet. Not only visually, but also from the point of view of tactical and technical requirements," Pavel said.

He said all APCs must have similar qualities, such as the ability to cope with difficult terrains.

The new Pandurs are mainly to go to the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade. The ministry will buy the basic version of Pandurs. A special equipment for them, including computer and liaison systems, is to be installed by another firm.

Pavel said the latter firm should be a Czech one, with which the military could cooperate more effectively on equipping the APCs.

The military said it also needs further APCs for its other units. It will need a total of 62 of APCs in the first two phases of purchase.

For the Czech units that now use the Iveco APCs, new vehicles will be chosen from among the Vega and Titus types, Pavel said.

The Defence Ministry spokesman Petr Medek told CTK that the ministry is also going to put up a new tender for the service of the L-140 aircraft worth almost $8.5 mn, because the original tender's two parts were scrapped over inadequate bids in late 2014 and the third part is likely to be scrapped soon.

The ministry seeks a company to secure the aircraft's maintenance and an overhaul of its motors and propellers by November 2016, Medek said.