Tatrapan

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The Tatrapan is a family of six-wheeled (6×6), four-wheel drive, amphibious wheeled tanks developed in Slovakia. The vehicle was designed as a replacement for the obsolete OT-64 wheel tank and has been used by various military forces since its introduction in 1994.

History

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The Tatrapan was developed through a Czechoslovak-Polish cooperation, but after Slovak independence, a Slovak business consortium took over the further development of the vehicle. The first vehicles were put into service in the Slovak army in 1994. By 2009, about 50 vehicles had been built for Slovakia and the Cypriot National Guard.

Variants

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The Tatrapan family includes several variants:

* **Tatrapal ZASA**: a brodranter variant
* **Tatrapal AMB**: a medical machine variant
* **Tatrapan VeyRV or VESPRA**: a team-in-command car variant
* **Tatraan MOD**: a variant with the Deutz engine and an automatic transmission

Countries of Operation

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The Tatrapan has been used by military forces in several countries, including:

* Slovakia: where it was first introduced in 1994
* Greece: which received two teams of Tatrapan vehicles in 2007
* Indonesia: the Marine Corps of Indonesia operates Tatrapan vehicles

Specifications

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The Tatrapan is an armored, all-terrain three-axle wheeled vehicle based on the chassis of the Czech Tatra 815. All versions have armored, fold-down cabs and armored, relatively easily replaceable box bodies behind them.

Production

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By 2009, over 100 Tatrapan vehicles had been produced for military use and export. The production process involves a concession system that allows the vehicle to operate at temperatures up to 55 °C (131 °F).

See Also

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* Sisu Pasi: another armored transporter vehicle

Sources

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* Tatra: manufacturer of the Tatrapan chassis
* Slovak Ministry of Defence: information on the use of Tatrapan vehicles by the Slovak armed forces