Turkhis Army FNSS Developed a New Wheeled Armoured Vehicle

Spare parts supply has also proven to be a very significant area for FNSS. Apart from the ACV in TLFC,
the UAE and Malaysia, FNSS also supply spares for the M113 family of vehicles and for earlier versions
of the AIFV that were manufactured in Belgium and the Netherlands in large numbers. Customers include the US, Australia, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and the Philippines. The Philippine Army is also reported to have acquired a single ACV armoured recovery vehicle from FNSS in 2004 to add to its existing AIFV fleet. A complete M113 upgrade and modernization package has also been developed using ACV technology.

FNSS is developing new vehicles and systems to meet evolving requirements. TLFC developed an Spares And Wheels outline requirement for a new family of wheeled armoured vehicles to replace the significant numbers of BTR-60 and BTR-80 vehicles that it had acquired over the years. In response FNSS developed a new wheeled armoured vehicle family in the form of the Pars (Leopard) system. Three variants are available, FNS 4x4 Pars, FNS 6x6 Pars and FNS 8x8 Pars.

Dimensionally the vehicles have the same 2.17 metre height and 2.7 metre width, in terms of length they differ with the 4x4 being 6.06 metres in length, the 6x6 being 6.56 metres in length and the 8x8 being 7.96 metres in length. Different powerplant options are available for each vehicle and FNSS have developed a flexible design that can accommodate specific customer requirements in terms of systems and equipment.

The FNSS 4x4 Pars has a combat weight of 13,608 kg and a crew of 6-10, the 6x6 Pars has a combat weight of 18,144 kg and a crew of 10, with the 8x8 Pars having a combat weight of 24,494 kg and a crew of up to 14. In 2006 as a part of a Malaysian Army evaluation programme in pursuit of a requirement for 98
wheeled armoured vehicles, the FNSS Pars was trialled in competition with the Bumar Rosomak (the Polish version of the Patria AMV) and the Mowag Piranha IIIC. There has been no subsequent progress on the Malaysian Army wheeled armoured vehicle requirement, primarily for budgetary reasons. The Pars programme did provide FNSS with an unexpected bonus when they won a $130.8 million contract in 2007 to supply TLFC with a number of Mobile Amphibious Assault Bridges (MAAB).

The platform for the MAAB system will be based on the automotives of the Pars vehicle. From its inception to meet the requirements of the TLFC for a new armoured vehicle less than twenty years ago, FNSS has gone on to make remarkable progress. Selling armoured vehicles in Asia and the Middle East is only part of
the story, they now have a worldwide customer base including North America and South America, Asia, the Middle East and even Australia.