Steyr-Daimler-Puch was a large manufacturing conglomerate based in Steyr, Austria, which was broken up in stages between 1987 and 2001.

The Austrian 6×6 Pandur I Family was developed as a private project with the first prototype completed in 1985. The vehicle was adopted by the Austrian Armed Forces and exported to a number of countries.

In 1998, the production of military vehicles was sold to an Austrian investor company, which named it Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH (SSF). This firm went on to develop the 8×8 wheeled APC which was named the Pandur II (the 6×6 was then renamed the Pandur I) which was of course a larger and improved version of the successful 6×6 with the first prototype completed in 2001. The firm was then sold in 2003 to General Dynamics Land Systems.

The Austrian 6×6 Pandur I Family Variants

Model A – extended centre roof

Armoured Personnel Carrier
Ambulance
Anti-tank vehicle
Repair and recovery vehicle
Command post vehicle

Model B – flat roof

Amphibious vehicle – greater buoyancy and is propelled in the water by two water jets
Mortar carrier
Reconnaissance Fire Support Vehicle

The Austrian 6×6 Pandur I Family Specifications

Weight – 13.5 tonnes
Length – 5.7m (18 ft 8 in)
Width – 2.5m (8 ft 3in)
Height – 1.82m (6 ft)
Crew – 2 + 8 troops
Armour – protection against 12.7mm rounds in the 30° frontal arc and against 7.62mm rounds everywhere else
Primary armament – 12.7mm MG (APC version – other options available)
Engine – Steyr 260 bhp 6 cylinder turbo-charged diesel
Operational range – 700 km (435 mi)
Top Road Speed – 100km/h (62 mph)

The Austrian 6×6 Pandur I Family Operators

Austria – Introduced to the Austrian Army in 1996 (71 vehicles)
Belgium – Belgian Army (45 in 5 versions, built in Belgium)
Kuwait – Kuwait National Guard (70 in 6 versions, produced by AV Technology),
Slovenia – Slovenian Army (85, produced under license, locally known as Valuk)
United States – US Army (50, produced by AV Technology as the Armoured Ground Mobility System for USASOC)
Royal Solomon Islands Police Force
Equatorial Guinea – (15 vehicles)