Military and Strategic Journal
Issued by the Directorate of Morale Guidance at the General Command of the Armed Forces
United Arab Emirates
Founded in August 1971

2018-07-01

PATRIA 6X6 Unveiled

Patria took the opportunity of the 2018 Eurosatory conference to launch the new Patria 6x6 - a multifunctional transport vehicle with the capacity and modularity to adapt easily to contemporary needs. 
 
The Patria 6X6 is the successor to the Pasi Armoured Personnel Carrier, designed to complement the vehicle fleets of customers of the legendary Patria AMV 8X8. The chassis structure is based on the same components as the AMV, but with one less axle and steered from the front two, or with all three, depending on its equipage. 
 
Optional equipage can be added to bring the 6X6 closer to the AMV with various ballistic and mine protection levels, weapon systems, self-protection systems and other interior equipment.

As Janne Räkköläinen, Vice President of Patria’s Land Business unit confirmed, “There has long been demand on the market for a successor to the Pasi Armoured Personnel Carrier, which has been in production since the 1980s. The new 6X6 brings the basic principles behind its predecessor into the present day, with its multifunctional transport capacity and modularity that adapts easily to customers' needs.”
 
Cost-effective, Adaptable APC 
Is the 6X6 related to the Patria AMV or is it a continuation of the existing product family within a new vehicle model?
In fact, the vehicle layout is very different. The 6X6 is as wide and high as the AMV, but around half a metre shorter. Its price is about half that of the AMV, but the final costs depends on the equipage fitted according to the customer’s specifications. 
 
The 6X6 pre-design phase began many years ago, but the final concept and production model were developed in 2016 and 2017. The idea of the new 6X6 is to create a simple, cost-effective and adaptable APC with doors and windows in the cab to make boarding and leaving easy and where, in addition to the 2 or 3-man crew, the vehicle has seats for 10 combat troops and controls to which the driver can adapt easily. 
 
The 6X6 is thus a clear and unified manufacturing concept, presenting the possibility of the final assembly and equipage being completed easily in the destination country. The new APC meets NATO standards and is ideally suited to peacekeeping missions anywhere in the world.  
 
High-level Mortar Protection
The Patria 6X6 can be equipped with a variety of weapon systems and, if required, the turreted, remote-controlled Patria Nemo 120 mm mortar system. The 6X6 has a maximum load-bearing capacity of 8.5 tonnes. 
 
Armoured protection reaches STANAG level 4 against heavy machine gun fire and, due to the 6x6’s good load carrying capacity, has better protection than previous Pasi APCs. Moreover, even at the basic level its mine protection is world class, achieving up to 10 kilos of mine protection.
 
Highly Adaptable Patria Nemo 
Since 1933, Finland has been manufacturing world-class mortars for the international markets. Traditional mortars are now becoming defendants and if the enemy has counter-radars capable of pinpointing the location of the mortar, then the mortar crew can expect accurate counter-fire to be directed at its own firing position. In contrast, a traditional mortar platoon will find it very difficult to escape from such counter-fire.
 
One simple solution is to mount the mortar on the floor or on the vehicle chassis to add improved mobility. If the vehicle is armoured, and the mortar is mounted on a turret and equipped with a fire control system, then the weapon system will enjoy high performance in the modern battlefield.
 
As a modern and compact system, the Patria Nemo can easily be mounted onto both wheeled (6x6, 8x8) and tracked armoured vehicles. It serves an indirect fire support system but can also be used for self-defence thanks to its direct fire capability. 
 
Moreover, the Patria Nemo is capable of Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) fire missions where up to 5 grenades can hit the target simultaneously. Due to its low weight, the Nemo is also adaptable to lightweight, high-speed vessels and can be used effectively for harbour patrolling and protection, coastal guarding and infantry landing operations.
 
Innovative Fire-Control System
During its crucial product development process, Patria’s experts worked closely with the navy of a prominent Middle East country to optimise the finished product in accordance with its naval requirements. For Patria, the Arabian Peninsula is an important area of focus for the future and both the Patria AMV and Nemo mortar system have been selected by the UAE Armed Forces. 
 
The Patria Nemo hence benefits greatly from being equipped with the Fire Control System-Command Post (FCS-CP) solution, designed to support and coordinate indirect fire for one or multiple Patria Nemo Mortar Units and enabling group operation of the units. Other than being fixed on a boat or vehicle, Nemo can also be mounted on a transferable platform, while the container can be easily moved into a firing position on a high-speed boat, ship or truck. 
 
The Patria Nemo gunner-commander training simulator also provides a realistic virtual training environment for the wide range of fire missions that can be performed with the Patria Nemo mortar system.
 
Direct Fire Capability
Nemo is also capable of direct fire using its own sights, laser range finders and thermal imagers, both for close-range fire support in urban warfare and to defend the mortar vehicle up to a distance of one kilometre. Although a 120 mm mortar is a rather traditional weapon, modern self-guided ammunition has been developed to use such bombs where indirect fire can be combined with a precision impact.
 
Moreover, Patria’s turret-mounted mortars have been used to fire Saab’s STRIX bombs with a heat-seeking warhead and guidance system to find and target enemies on the battlefield. A turreted mortar system can also be mounted on a vehicle supplied by the customer or some other vehicle provider.

For example, Saudi Arabia has acquired Nemo system mounted on a US-made LAV 2 vehicle, while another GCC country has mounted the mortar on a combat vessel.
 
 Container Design Innovations
The Nemo Container was introduced to the public for the first time at the United Arab Emirates’ IDEX 2017 conference as the first container solution to mount a large-calibre weapon.  
 
A range of competencies is required to develop the knowledge needed for the integration of a heavy 120mm mortar in a container as vehicle or container manufacturers rarely understand the weapon system side of the equation. 
 
Both strength calculations and the design of the support frame may be complicated by the container requiring an access hatch, a top hatch and an escape hatch, all of which weaken its construction.
 
In contrast, the Patria Nemo Container has dimensions similar to those of the standard 20-foot maritime container, while its fixing points are located in similar positions. Externally, it is no different to a standard container where the durability of the container is based on an additional support frame built between the external and internal cladding.
 
The reinforced tubular structure absorbs recoil, with more longitudinal and transverse beams in the space between the external and internal cladding than in the standard containers. In firing position, the roof is 600mm lower than that of a normal maritime container, with the standard height then achieved when the mortar’s transport cover is added to the top of the container.
 
When transported, Nemo’s turret is completely hidden by the cover and the turret remains in a direct-fire position, pointing in a different direction than it would during firing. The turret is rotated 180 degrees when the weapon is being used for firing, while the muzzle must be located beyond the edge of the container to avoid excessive stresses in the container created by the muzzle blast.
 
Compact Cost-Effective Power 
The Nemo Container meets the requirements for a mortar capable of flexible transfer from one location to another using suitable equipment. It is also significantly more cost-effective than mortar systems mounted on a separately purchased vehicle or boat.
 
The Nemo Container is delivered with everything a mortar unit needs: protection for the three crew (two loaders and a gunner), weapons and ammunition. Moreover, it has its own power unit and air conditioning, an access hatch and an escape hatch.
 
The customer can select NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) filtration systems, as well as the desired ballistic protection, made either of steel plates or ceramic armour. A high-durability steel plating of 8-10mm thick adds around three tonnes to the weight of the container.
 
The container has space for one hundred mortar bombs which is double the number of the Nemo AMV vehicle version. Hence, the key benefit of the Patria Nemo Container is easy mobility, unique to mortar systems of this calibre.
 
The container can be easily moved into a firing position on a high-speed boat, a ship or on a truck, while the container can also fire from any of these carriers. The container’s versatile mobility enables coastal jaeger platoons to relocate this independent firing unit during a mission, which is also an excellent solution for protecting bases.
 
The container can also be purchased as a separate unit without the weapon system, enabling the customer to make cost-effective use of its existing Nemo equipment. Thus, the combination of the Patria 6X6 with the Nemo 120 mm mortar will be the ideal transport solution for the armed forces of any country. 
 
Reference Text/Photo:
 

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