The General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr has announced that it was awarded a $128 million (€106 million) contract for the delivery of additional Pandur 6×6 Evolution (Evo) wheeled armored vehicles to the Austrian army.
According to a company news release, the Austrian Ministry of Defense awarded a contract on October 30, 2020 to General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr (GDELS) for the delivery of 30 Pandur 6×6 Evo wheeled armored vehicles.
Company says the new vehicles are designed as armored personnel carriers (APCs) and can be quickly converted into other roles such as CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) due to their modular design.
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In addition to the 34 vehicles purchased in 2016 and based in the center of excellence at the Jägerbataillon 17 in Straß / Styria, the Austrian Armed Forces will operate a fleet of 64 new PANDUR 6×6 Evo. Deliveries will be made in 2022 and 2023.
Since 1996, the Pandur has successfully served in domestic and international peacekeeping missions. The significantly modernized version of the Pandur MTPzUN, the Pandur Evo, offers an unmatched compact vehicle design with a crew of 11 soldiers, superior mobility, and a significantly increased level of protection against mines and IED threats. The vehicles will be completely manufactured in Austria benefiting the local economy and securing hundreds of skilled jobs. More than 200 suppliers, mainly SMEs, are involved in this program.
“We are very proud that we have been awarded this important contract. The cooperation with the Austrian Armed Forces is excellent and underlines the great satisfaction with our products. In addition, this order secures hundreds of high-tech jobs due to the Austrian added value,” explains Martin Reischer, Managing Director of GDELS-Steyr.
“We would like to thank the Austrian Armed Forces very much for their high confidence in us and our vehicle systems. Austria is one of our home-markets and as a reliable partner, we are fully committed to deliver these vehicles on cost, quality, and schedule,” Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS Vice President for International Business & Services, added.
