Patria will use DSEI 2025 in London to unveil a new tracked vehicle, expanding its product line beyond wheeled armoured platforms.
The debut is scheduled for 11:00 on the opening day of the exhibition, with the company confirming the design draws on its FAMOUS concept prototype first shown at Eurosatory 2024.
The Finnish defence company is presenting a broad portfolio at the show under the themes of Protected Mobility, Defence and Weapon Systems, and Sustainment Solutions. Alongside the tracked vehicle, Patria is highlighting its established armoured fleets, new mortar systems, electronic warfare tools, and unmanned systems.
- Patria 6×6: modular armoured vehicle in two configurations, one command-and-control variant on Patria’s stand and one troop carrier displayed by Babcock. Nearly 1,000 ordered under the CAVS programme, with over 220 delivered.
- Patria AMV XP 8×8: combat-proven wheeled vehicle contracted to nine nations, with more than 1,600 delivered.
- Patria TREMOS: mobile mortar system for 4×4 and 6×6 vehicles, using standard 120mm or 81mm tubes.
- Patria NEMO: turreted mortar system with direct and indirect fire capability, including multiple-round simultaneous impact.
- Electronic systems: ARIS and CATCHR ELINT suites, MUSCL passive radar for covert detection, and CANDL secure data link for manned-unmanned teaming.
- Patria drones: SKY (long-range UAV), ONE (modular, fibre-optic controlled drone), and GEO (mapping drone with 74-minute endurance).
- Patria OPTIME: lifecycle management service now integrated with Belgian digital defence firm ILIAS Solutions.
The tracked vehicle launch is expected to be Patria’s headline announcement in London.
Look at the headlights on that.
I was admiring the beefy hinges!
These modern military headlights are heading for BMW prices, no reason not to have more conventional design with replaceable LED bulbs. Unique lights are about profit when lower cost lorry ones would work saving money. Seems each military vehicle now has different lights increasing supply chain problems.
I remember Lotus Cars having all sorts of parts from other cars, lights and handles from Morris and Rover. And I remember Rover’s SD1 had many parts like that too.
TVR were Bin Parts cars too.
If you look up “European Defence Review (EDR). They have a long piece on the vehicle along with a load of piccies. The vehicle is part of the European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems (FAMOUS) program. It kind of looks like a cross between a Ripsaw and the old Soviet MT-LB. Reading through the blurb, it’s being aimed at replacing M113s, ie fulfilling the APC role. It has an all up weight of 15t and dimensions similar to their 6×6 vehicle. Meaning armour is pretty light. They are looking at a similar armament to that used on the 6×6.
As it’s tracked, Patria are looking at it operating where there’s soft ground/artic/snowy conditions where low ground pressure is required.
Not a huge fan of those windows, I’d want to button up. Still if Boxer ends up going to 1 Div could be a replacement for 432 in support roles.
Hi Dern, very similar to their 6×6, but like I said much like a Ripsaw.
According to Patria the FAMOUS vehicle has level 1 (7.62mm ball) armour that can be upgraded to level 2 (7.62mm AP). Which admittedly isn’t great, but is the same as a standard 432. Sadly we know 432s have been used in forward roles outside its traditional APC role, so the vehicle that is chosen to replace the 432, must have the weight growth for additional armour packages ala Bulldog of at least level 4 (14.5mm AP), as you can bet it would also be used in a similar way when nothing else is around.
I mean 432 was meant to be used in forward roles. Until the 2010’s several infantry battalions used them as section carriers, which puts a different spin on it. 432 was meant to serve besides Chieftain and Challenger 1/2, dropping infantry into battle and then withdrawing, and was only slowly relegated to rear echelon roles. If FAMOUS comes in and is only in support roles, I guess okay, but I’d still want to button up the driver and commanders position and use periscopes if needed, even if the metal is only rated against 7.62, glass can only withstand so many hits.
Obviously the UK has made no noises of buying this thing, so we can only speculate on where it would end up, but the big weapon station on it suggest an infantry carrier in lighter units. Maybe a Foxhound replacement for the LMP program, with a version without the weapon station as a support vehicle. Or if each ABCT gets 2x Ares based IFV battalions a third Famous Battalion could take a position within the brigade.
Hi Dern, I had thought the Warrior replaced all the 432 in the forward role. Didn’t realise they were still being used for that. I don’t see us going down the Famous route. I mean it should have a similar mobility to the CVR(t) due to it using band tracks. But will it be a better solution for the light APC role then their current 6×6? Even when operating in Norway etc, the BV206 and Vikings provide just as good if not better mobility in the snowy/icy conditions.
I’m a little intrigued on how they will be fitting out Ares for the heavy APC role. I guess ripping out some of the comms kit used for recce data linking etc, will give up some space, allowing to carry the 6 pax. Shame it isn’t being fitted with a heavier calibre RWS (as far as I know).
In the end this is a very light protected mobility vehicle that happens to be tracked, it’s gross weight is only 11 tons, ( max weight 15 tons) and most importantly it is only STANAG level 1 ballistic and blast, with kits taking it to a max of STANAG level 2.
It can pound along at 80kmh and its ground pressure is insanely low at 0.32kg/cm2.
But I’m not sure the army would want a vehicle that fails to 5.56 ball below 30m range.
The Patria 8×8 APC is a different fish to this new offer and is more in line with what the army would need 16-32 tons with an organic armour at Stanag 3 and upgradable to 4 and even 6 on the front with the latest version. But at the top end with full armour kits and a 30mm cannon turret IFV verson is it’s 3.9 million a pop, so not cheap as chips, just not as high end as bling money as boxer. A apc verson with STANAG 3 is about a 3 million so half a boxer.
The patria 6×6 is in the middle with a max weight of 22 tons ( 15 gross) stanag level 2 standard and upgradable to level 3. But is cheap as chips at around 1 million a pop.
I agree, I’d rather see the 8×8 or 6×6 in service, especially if 1 Div is going wheels and 3 Div going tracked.
Yes they are both a god choose. To be honest you could go all in on the 6×6 as it’s cheap and light for strategic mobility and essentially use it to replace everything in 1 division. Equip 4th and 7th with it and turn both into Mec brigades. Use it for all the CS CSS and Order a 1500 for a Billion and a half quid.. then just give all the foxhounds to 16 air assault brigade, give the mastiff’s, ridgebacks, wolfhounds and FV 430s to Ukraine.
Keep boxer in 3rd division as it’s stupid heavy really, and having a mix of heavy Mec and armour infantry would be useful, nothing wrong with having most of the infantry wheeled Mec as long as there is at least 1 battalion per MBT regiment of AI on tracked IFVs.
Then you have 3rd division with armoured vehicles in the 40-70 ton range, boxer and some tracked option possibly.
1st division with 6×6 patria in the 15-20 ton range and 16 brigade with vehicles in the less than 5 ton range (foxhound)
That gives you a lot of Mec infantry battalions in the different weight categories for all your deployment needs.
Then they just need to sort out the CS CSS and find some more people for them.
Foxhound won’t go to 16, at least not in anything other than a temporary theatre loan basis. 16 will always remain light role at it’s core in order to be Helicopter and Parachute capable. There also are no Bulldogs in 1 UK div, even in CSS roles. Also no reason Boxer couldn’t go to 7 Mech, it’s weight isn’t that big of a deal in terms of strategic mobility, we are not going to air deploy a whole mech brigade, the Americans tried that with Striker and found it un-workable, and once you go sea lift the difference in weight between a Boxer and Patria 6×6 is meh. The bigger issue is, as you know, cost.
That’s fair, you would not see me complaining if they give boxer to 7th that would be a big uplift, we can hope. That would also mean all tracked for the two armoured brigades. Which would essentially give the army back three heavy brigades 2 tracked in 3rd Division and 1 heavy wheeled in 1Division, if they keep all three MBT regiments as well that would not be to bad. Especially if you 4th and all the support in the 6×6.
With 16th brigade it would be nice to have the option to give them protected mobility as a when they need it, same with 11th brigade ( whatever they are doing now ), so maybe keeping foxhound as a cheap but decent protected mobility vehicle as needed for these formations and any other light role infantry. I’m sure the army could stash them away and dust them off as and when.
But all in all however they organise it I do think they probably need to keep the boxer order at 620 and then fill everything else with patria 6×6 or some other 1 million a pop OK APC.