Pandur I was first launched in 1985. Since then a series of pre-production variants have been produced to demonstrate a number of roles
The Pandur I, a wheeled armored vehicle, has been in service with the Austrian Army since 1996 and is in service with the Kuwaiti National Guard, the Belgian Army and the Slovenian Army. Even the US Army awarded a contract for up to 50 Pandur vehicles to form the basis of the Armoured Ground Mobility System.
Pandur I was first launched in 1985. Since then a series of pre-production variants have been produced to demonstrate a number of roles, from unarmed ambulance, to various turreted models mounting weapons from 12.7 mm machine guns to 30 mm cannon. The Pandur I series was subsequently replaced by the much improved Pandur II series incorporating a 6×6 or 8×8 wheel arrangement as well as a more powerful engine. Despite this, Pandur I is still playing an active role in the armies of Austria, Belgium, Gabon, Kuwait, Slovenia, and the United States.
Essentially, the Pandur I is an armored vehicle with a 6×6 wheeled configuration, built for multi-purpose in multiple combat roles. Its variants all share the same automotive components. The vehicle weighs about 13.5 tons, is 5.7 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 1.82 meters tall. The crew of 2 includes the driver and gunner, plus 8 fully armed soldiers in the passenger compartment.
The Pandur vehicle is powered by a Steyr WD 612 diesel engine, rated at 265hp. A tire inflation system gives optimised traction on all terrain due to continuously adjustable tire pressure. Maximum speed is 100km/h and cruising range is 650km. The Austrian Army began use of the Pandur I series in 1996 to which some 71 vehicles were ultimately delivered. Belgium undertook license production of the vehicle in five major variants numbering 45 examples in whole. The Kuwait National Guard, under the AV Technology International production banner, operated some 70 vehicles in six major variants.
