Patria showcasing FAMOUS tracked ATV concept

Patria is showcasing the all-terrain tracked concept vehicle dreamed up under a European development programme of which it is the industrial coordinator.

The Finnish firm, joint owned by its national government and Norwegian defence giant Kongsberg, has taken the lead in the development of the All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for the Future highly mobile Augmented armOUred System (FAMOUS) programme.

FAMOUS and its follow-up FAMOUS2 were initiatives first created under the auspices of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) — a precursor to the European Defence Fund — aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the EU defence industry through co-financing from the E.U. It has a total budget of about €132 million.

The FAMOUS remit was developing next-generation armoured platforms and upgrading current ones, including those able to operate in extreme climates and geographical environments. It sought to combine expertise from lessons learned in building Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) and upgrading to Main Battle Tank (MTB) capabilities.

Finland is the lead nation in the FAMOUS project and it wants the programme to produce a new vehicle to replace its existing fleet of ATVs optimised for mobility in Arctic conditions.

The initial feasibility study resulted in the tracked concept vehicle first introduced at at Eurosatory and due to be exhibited again at NDIS 2024 later this month, a Nordic event arranged by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence (MoD), along with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, and the Norwegian Armed Forces.

It is hoped the new tracked vehicle platform can be developed into a multi-purpose solution for all kinds of operational environments. As per a Patria press statement: "The new protected tracked vehicle system provides overwhelming tactical and operational mobility in the most demanding weather, soft soil and extreme harsh terrain conditions."

The firm claimed the new platform would provide a cost-effective alternative to traditionally articulated vehicles and light tracked vehicles. It is intended to provide a high-capability foundation for troop mobility in the demanding weather and terrain conditions of the northern region.

The concept vehicle will be developed into a prototype over the next few years with the help of newly-awarded funding ahead of any subsequent procurement decisions.

• You can read more about the FAMOUS programme on the Patria website