Four Vehicles to Undergo Extensive Operational Testing

Protolab Oy announced on 25 June the delivery of the first 6×6 Protected Multi-Purpose Vehicle (PMPV) to the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). Four vehicles, to be delivered against a 2018 contract, will be put through extensive operational testing by the FDF as part of a wider modernisation programme aimed at upgrading and enhancing its armoured vehicle fleet.

The manoeuvrable, agile PMPV is suited to a variety of roles, including patrol, personnel and cargo transport, and command post. Amphibious and medical evacuation variants are also available. Protolab believes the PMPV is the first of its kind 6×6 armoured personnel carrier developed to meet the mobility, protection and communication requirements of special operations and paramilitary security forces. It has been designed from the ground up with integrated high level mine and ballistic protection, in line with customer-specified STANAG 4569 blast protection levels.

The vehicle can carry two crew and ten fully-equipped troops, and has a 10,000kg payload capacity. Narrower than standard fighting vehicles at 2.55m, its width makes it suitable for urban operations, with advanced mobility both on and off-road. Powered by a Cummins 6.7l multifuel engine and meeting Euro 3 emission levels, the vehicle meets EU truck road regulations, qualifying it for registration as an N3G class truck (off-road). These design features make it an ideal fit for the challenges being faced by modern armies.

“We designed the Protolab PMPV 6×6 to meet the requirements of today’s soldier and today’s asymmetric battlefield,” commented Protolab’s Business Development Director, Juha Moisio. “With a design approach based around the use of COTS parts with a small proportion of custom-made components, the Protolab PMPV is a cost-effective solution for the range of tasks faced by special operations, security and crisis management forces in the field […] We are pleased to see the vehicle progressing well through field trials with the FDF and are getting positive feedback from the customer. We are confident that the Protolab PMPV will become the vehicle of choice for customers looking to replace their existing 6×6 vehicle fleets with a modern, protected and flexible solution.”