The Army is currently being upgraded and, as part of it, 62 TITUS armoured vehicles is to be purchased. This purchase was approved by the Government at the end of July 2017 and the final quotation was signed by representatives of the defence department in late July this year. The delivery of the vehicles should be realized in the period of 2022 - 2023. However, the Titus is able, thanks to its conception, to offer much more with the preservation of the support of the Czech industry. Which possibilities will the army have in the future?

Picture: Military version of the TITUS 6x6 armoured vehicle | Tatra Trucks

Out of total of 62 wheeled vehicles, 42 pcs will be commanding-staff and connecting vehicles, and 20 pcs - wheeled vehicles of FSCC (Fire Support Coordination Centre) type, including logistic support and training. The manufacturer, Tatra Trucks from Kopřivnice, falling into the CSG portfolio, cooperates with French Nexter Systems in developing this vehicle. Understandably is that the vehicle provides a wide range of modifications and options with different superstructure.  The Army of the Czech Republic should replace obsolete ZIL’s, PRAGA V3S’s and other equipment, which till now bears special electronic and connecting outfit, the current “battlefield” cannot exist without. Let’s see to the possible real usage, deployment and extension of the existing systems with help of the TITUS vehicles.

The commander’s workplaces must be enforced, but also have to be mobile. The present trends clearly point to the needfulness of high modularity, quick mobility and mutual cohesion of the systems. No matter whether it is internal Czech Army communication or it is confidential communication with the Alliance. The main command place consisted of TITUS’s, may be created by several linked systems, which can be quickly adapted to a pre-determined place, be connected and start performing tasks literally in tens of minutes, but not hours or even tens of hours.

Picture: The TITUS armoured vehicle at the IDET 2017 Trade Fair | Wikimedia Common

The same vehicle is also able to coordinate the fire support, air defence, as well as can, for example, bear trench-mortars. It would be really a mobile solution compared to the current state, when soldiers must firstly unload trench-mortars from the trucks, and just in the place, after their fixation and other necessary steps, their deployment can be initiated. This process, of cause, is very time-demanding. In addition, the trench-mortar personnel are absolutely unprotected against enemy’s fire.

A trench-mortar in the superstructure is a solution which had been already implemented. But presently it falls definitively into the past. It was a modification of BVP (infantry fighting vehicle) with an inbuilt 120mm trench-mortar and 12.7mm machine-guns, which could act against both enemy live forces and flying targets. It is necessary to note that this Czechoslovakian 120mm self-propelled machine-gun, model 85, with the project name of PRAM-S, at that time was very modern and effective system. The installation of the machine-gun on a modern vehicle of the 21st century, in this case TITUS, would be, thus, a logical solution.

Picture: 120mm PRAM self-propelled machine-gun | army.cz

The same platform can also act as a classical patrol MRAP, which carries out reconnaissance of the surroundings, protection of a perimeter, and also is able to bear a descent, bring specialists to the place of destination, etc. It can also become a vehicle for the quick transfer of the injured. We consider the procurement of the TITUS vehicles to be a very prosperous enterprise, and in addition, as was described above, the army obtains by this a modern and modular platform for long years and with possibilities of different upgrades.