General Dynamics Corporation (GD) announced that its unit General Dynamics European Land Systems – Steyr (GDELS) has been awarded a contract to supply 225 additional PANDUR 6×6 EVO wheeled armored vehicles to the Austrian Armed Forces. The contract is valued at €1.2 billion, equivalent to $1.3 billion, initially, and follows an existing contract for 100 PANDUR EVO vehicles currently in production and delivery.
The PANDUR EVO 6×6 is a compact, high-performance armored vehicle built at GDELS’ Steyr facility in Vienna Simmering, known as the national center of excellence for wheeled and tracked protected military mobility. This latest procurement decision marks a significant milestone in the history of the PANDUR vehicle family and highlights its globally unique performance and multi-role capability.
GDELS President Antonio Bueno expressed his excitement about the contract, stating, “Today’s procurement decision marks an extraordinary milestone in the history of our PANDUR and underlines the globally unique performance and multi-role capability of this wheeled armored vehicle family.”
The PANDUR EVO has been in service with the Austrian Armed Forces since 1996, and the new order includes state-of-the-art personnel carriers, versatile conversion kits for medical and command & control tasks, and eight new vehicle variants, such as those featuring a 120 mm mortar combat system and mobile air defense and electronic warfare capabilities.
With around 850 PANDUR vehicles in 6×6 and 8×8 configurations fielded worldwide, other users of the vehicle include Belgium, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Kuwait, Portugal, Slovenia, and the U.S.
In terms of financials, as of the end of December 2023, General Dynamics reported long-term debt of $8.754 billion and cash and equivalents totaling $1.913 billion. The company continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and excellence in the defense industry with contracts like the recent PANDUR EVO supply agreement.
GD shares closed lower by 0.19% at $268.93 on Tuesday following the announcement of the contract. The company remains a key player in the defense sector, providing advanced solutions for military mobility and protection.
