As a result of the acquisition of Armour Holdings, BAE Systems Land Systems now has the widely deployed Pinzgauer range of 6x6 and 4x4 crosscountry tactical vehicles as part of its product portfolio. At DSEi the company is launching its Pinzgauer II (6x6) on the world market and, in the short term at least, this will be marketed alongside the current production Pinzgauer.

Two versions of Pinzgauer II have been developed: one with a forward control cab and the other with a conventional bonnet, the latter called the Mantis. Both are powered by a Steyr M16 3.6-litre turbocharged diesel developing 145kW, which meets EURO IV emission requirements and gives a power-to-weight ratio of 20kW/tonne. This is coupled to a ZF automatic transmission and two-speed transfer box. A maximum speed of 80km/h is quoted, with a road range of about 1,000km. Pinzgauer II air suspension system is claimed to provide a good ride across country. An integrated braking system has been incorporated, as have wide tyres.

The chassis can accept a payload of 3.8 tonnes and be configured for use in the troopcarrying role, ambulance or cargo carrier carrying two NATO pallets. Gross vehicle weight is quoted as 7 tonnes. Compared with current production vehicles, Pinzgauer II has a significant increase in payload and volume. All production vehicles will incorporate a protection architecture that includes underfloor steel armour and all-round armour protection for the lower half of the cab. Development of Pinzgauer II will be completed by the year end and the baseline design has been almost frozen. First production vehicles could be completed as early as 2008. It is expected that Pinzgauer II will initially be produced only in 6x6 configuration, but a 4x4 model could be built if there were sufficient market interest. Pinzgauer II is already being marketed to potential customers in Asia and Northern Europe.