Excalibur Army details its Patriot II 4×4

Excalibur Army revealed new details about its Patriot II 4×4 protected mobility vehicle at MSPO 2019 in Poland, held from 3 to 6 September in Kielce.

The vehicle was developed as a collaboration between H Cegielski-Poznań SA and Tatra Defence Vehicles. It was first publicly displayed at IDET 2019 and is an upgraded variant of the Patriot 4×4 Medium Armoured Tactical Multi-Mission Vehicle that was originally shown at MSPO 2017 under the name ‘Husar 4×4’.

The Patriot II is a protected mobility vehicle that can carry eight personnel – driver, commander, and six dismounts – although the manufacturer said other vehicle configurations are possible. It is based upon the Tatra Force 4×4 chassis, composed of a central backbone tube and independent swinging air-suspended half-axles. This arrangement avoids excess bending stresses on the chassis and improves tyre-to-ground contact.

A Patriot II protected mobility vehicle on display at MSPO 2019. This variant is provided with a ROWS armed with a 20 mm automatic cannon, and has space for six dismounts. ( Markit/Mark Cazalet)

The Patriot II has a 15-tonne gross vehicle weight and a wheelbase of 3,650 mm. It is offered with two engine options: either the Cummins ISL developing 367hp, or the Tatra T3C-928-90 developing 407hp. Both engines are EURO III emissions compliant. In terms of mobility characteristics, the top speed of the vehicle is 110 km/h on roads or 45 km/h offroad, and it carries sufficient fuel to provide a range of 700 km. It is capable of overcoming inclines of 45° and side slopes of 32°, vertical obstacles of 0.5 m, crossing trenches up to 0.9 m wide, and fording rivers up to 1.2 m deep, according to Excalibur Army.