Eurosatory 2024 – Patria unveils the FAMOUS concept car

At Eurosatory 2024, Patria from Finland, the industrial coordinator of the FAMOUS consortium, presented the concept vehicle developed with the support of the European Defence Fund.

As the Arctic region becomes increasingly important for NATO, the issues related to combat operations in the Far North, characterized by very low temperatures and high snowfall in winter and swamps and soft terrain in summer, are also becoming more relevant. In December 2021, Patria, as industrial coordinator of the FAMOUS (European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems) consortium, signed a €9 million financing agreement with the European Commission (1) aimed at developing future technologies and performance to improve ground combat capabilities, leading to the development of next-generation armoured vehicles, including those capable of operating in extreme climates and geographical environments. In December 2022, a €95 million grant agreement from the European Defence Fund (EDF) was signed to enter the second phase of the FAMOUS programme, which is the development and prototyping phase.

The consortium includes 18 companies in its ongoing second phase under the coordination of Patria. The other companies in the FAMOUS consortium, representing 9 different countries, are: Arquus (France), JCD (Belgium), Kongsberg (Norway), AVL (Austria), Diehl Defence (Germany), Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (Spain), Fy-Composites (Finland), Indra Sistemas (Spain), Integrated Systems Development (Greece), Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (Latvia), Millog Oy (Finland), KNDS France (France), Piedrafita (Spain), Savox Communications (Finland), Spinverse (Finland), Integris (Denmark).

The first concrete result of the FAMOUS program is the ATV concept vehicle, a 15-ton multi-purpose tracked vehicle platform, the first variant of which, shown in Paris, is an armored personnel carrier. It can carry a crew of two and 10 dismounted personnel carriers. As this is a concept vehicle, Patria does not disclose information about the engine, whose power is 250 kW (340 hp), and the tracks; EDR On-Line understands that the company is testing various solutions from different suppliers. The vehicle side was covered because Patria again did not want to reveal the suspensions used, as the prototype is apparently being used to test various solutions.

The driver and commander sit at the front behind the large armored windshield; the transmission is located at the front of the vehicle, while the engine is placed on the left side behind the driver, leaving a corridor between the commander and the rear compartment. Exiting passengers sit on energy-absorbing seats, as used on Patria 6×6 APCs, in two rows of five, right and left, facing inward. The crew enters the vehicle through two side doors, while exiting passengers enter and exit through a left-hinged rear door.

The firepower of this concept vehicle is provided by a remote-controlled weapon station from Kongsberg, which has adapted it to FAMOUS requirements. A 7.62 mm pintle machine gun has been mounted at the rear on the left side, which the gunner operates through a hatch. The rear part of the vehicle can be converted for other missions. The 3.5 tonne payload offers good flexibility, and a version without an armoured cabin ensures an even higher payload. In the APC version, protection corresponds to ballistic level 1 and blast protection level 1 according to STANAG. According to data provided during the unveiling ceremony, during recent tests the FAMOUS ATV has reached its targeted maximum speed of 80 km/h, with its range being 600 km, exceeding the maximum speed requirement. The FAMOUS ATV can climb a 60% gradient; On a gradient of 8.5% it can move at 60 km/h, overcome a 2 meter wide ditch and drive through water at 4 km/h.

“The FAMOUS programme is fully in line with the European Commission’s objective to increase the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the EU defence industry,” said Mikko Karppinen, Senior Vice President, Protected Mobility and Defence Systems at Patria, at the unveiling ceremony. “We are very proud to present this armoured personnel carrier concept vehicle, developed with the support of the FAMOUS programme. We have now entered the concept testing phase and the performance of the future solution can be tested in practice.”

Finland was in charge of the work, and its representatives also took the stage during the short ceremony.

The concept car shown in Paris is supported by the FAMOUS program. In the second phase of the project, the FAMOUS consortium plans to complete a real prototype by the end of the year to start testing to compare performance and requirements. A second concept car will be manufactured by Patria, integrating technologies from partner companies.

Photos by P. Valpolini

(1) The project has received funding from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) under grant agreement No EDIDP-GCC-2020-058-FAMOUS and from the European Defence Fund (EDF), project 101103043 – FAMOUS2.