FNSS delivers it's PARS III to Oman.

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

via Defense Aerospace.

Translated from Turkish, the message is “We delivered the first vehicle of the 172-vehicle Oman contract, PARS III 8x8”

FNSS has not issued a press release on today’s delivery, but according to a statement issued in February 2016, when it concluded the second PARS export contract, “The contract is already effective and FNSS has started to fulfill its obligations under this new contract which includes delivery of a series of vehicles in various configurations. The exact customer, vehicle types, total budget and additional details will remain confidential.”

The statement continued: “This latest success for the PARS vehicle family, which has become a world standard in 8x8 and 6x6 wheeled armoured vehicles, has once again highlighted the status already achieved by FNSS on the international market. In competition alongside the world’s other top companies, FNSS has once again demonstrated the real quality and value of its vehicles, securing the highest scores in both the technical and value domains. We will continue to maintain our customer’s satisfaction at the highest level by meeting the contract requirements in terms of the schedule, budget, and quality”, says K. Nail Kurt, General Manager and CEO of FNSS.”

On its website, FNSS says that PARS III 8X8 is the new generation of wheeled armored combat vehicle (WACV) designed and developed with a special emphasis on mobility, protection, payload and growth potential. The vehicles employ the latest designs and technologies with a focus on the performance and durability of modern military operational requirements. The vehicles are available in 4X4, 6X6 and 8X8 configurations. The PARS family of vehicles takes its name from the “Anatolian Leopard”.

The PARS III 8X8 has an all-up combat weight of 30 tonnes, and is powered by a water-cooled diesel engine, coupled with a fully automatic transmission which generates a maximum road speed of up to 100 km/h.

Another 30 ton 8x8.  The evolution we've seen in wheeled combat vehicles has been stunning.  Not too long ago if you said an 8x8 wheeled IFV would weigh 30 tons, people would have called you crazy and claimed it would be good for only highways.

Now?

Now its almost common.  I dare say it is common!

IEDs is to this generation of warfighters what the "Atomic Age" was to the old skool guys in the 50's.  Everyone predicted that it was the future of warfare and then we ended up in a decades long counterinsurgency op in SE Asia.

I wonder what the next battlefield will show is king.  My guess is electronic warfare.  Not air based but ground based systems that totally screw up the latest hotness...dispersed units.