The soldiers of the 41st Mechanised Battalion in Žatec expanded their arsenal with new wheeled armoured vehicles Pandur. The ceremony to hand over the vehicles took place on Tuesday, February 4, in the area of the Center for material security of technical services in Štěpánov, near Olomouc.

Picture: The soldiers accepted two vehicles in the command post version and two in the liaison version | army.cz

The soldiers accepted two vehicles in the command post version and two in the liaison version. The vehicles are delivered as a part of a contract for the supply of the total of twenty wheeled armoured vehicles Pandur (six pieces in the command post version and 14 pieces in the liaison version) concluded by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the company Tatra Defence Vehicle in 2017. The remaining vehicles will be progressively delivered to the units of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade, which includes the Mechanised Battalion in Žatec, by the end of 2020.

Picture: New Pandur vehicles for soldiers from Žatec | army.cz

The ceremony was attended by the Director of the Logistics Agency of the Army of the Czech Republic, Colonel of the General Staff Stanislav Hudeček and a representative of the company Tatra Defence Vehicle Vladimír Matyáš. “The vehicles will provide a high armour protection for the crew and they are equipped with sophisticated communication, computing and transmission technology of the latest generation. They are designated for carrying out the tasks of the Army of the Czech Republic abroad and in the Czech Republic, or they can also be deployed within the Integrated Rescue System,” Colonel Hudeček explained.

Picture: The ceremony was attended by the Director of the Logistics Agency of the ACR, Colonel of the General Staff Stanislav Hudeček | army.cz

The soldiers praise the Pandurs

Among other things, the new Pandurs are characterized by a great mobility, their excellent off-road capability, the first-rate technology and the improved comfort for the operating crew. The soldiers themselves praise the capabilities and equipment of Pandur vehicles. “They will be a huge asset for us in terms of both speed and security of communication, as well as maneuverability and ballistic protection. The new technology will replace the old and outdated wheeled vehicles," said Lieutenant Jan Petr, Commander of the ACR OMLT unit.

Picture: In the Army of the Czech Republic, the wheeled armoured vehicles Pandur are in service with the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade| FB 4. brigáda rychlého nasazení - "Obrany národa"

In the Army of the Czech Republic, the wheeled armoured vehicles Pandur are in service with the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade. Currently, there are a total of six different modifications of this vehicle, such as command, reconnaissance and the engineer or medical version.