The Pandur II is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge. Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge is part of General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems, which is also the parent company of MOWAG of Switzerland and Santa Bárbara Sistemas of Spain. Military aspects The Pandur II has an all-welded steel body with optional armour upgrades. The basic armour package is designed to protect against armour-piercing rounds (customers may choose the armour thickness). The vehicle is designed to be transportable in a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The driver is seated on the left at the front and the engine is to the right. The driver is provided with a single piece hatch cover as well as three-way periscopes, one of which can be replaced by a passive periscope for night missions. The vehicle is designed to take a number of turret systems (such as the SP 30 turret also mounted on the ASCOD AFV of the Spanish and Austrian Armies), or it can be used as a standard APC with a mounted machine gun. With the turret the vehicle can carry 6 infantry. Without the turret, it can carry 12. Technical description The Pandur II is an armoured off-road vehicle (APC) intended for military use. It is available in two versions, a 6x6 and an 8x8 version; both versions are designed to be as offroad capable as possible whilst providing sophisticated protection for their occupants, which also includes protection against mines. The Pandur II can be used in cold (arctic) and hot (desert) climates, in urban regions, impassable terrain, as well as in waters such as rivers, lakes, and coast waters. In order to reduce the unit cost, many industrial-grade off-the-shelf components (e. g. an industrial diesel engine) were used for the Pandur II. The following description primarily describes the 8x8 variant. Running gear The body is made of highest-tenacity steel plates that are welded together. Thus, the body is rigid and does not allow torsion. The wheels are coil-sprung and have hydraulic shock absorbers, the suspension is similar to the MacPherson strut system. Each wheel has two control arms, a lower transverse control arm, and an upper longitudinal control arm. The coil springs are designed to have progressive characteristics, which is achieved with additional rubber springs. The control arms (as well as