The Latvian Ministry of Defense and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) – Santa Bárbara Sistemas have entered contract negotiations for new tracked combat vehicles. The Latvian Ministry lately confirmed that the ASCOD from GDELS was selected after an international competition with extensive functional tests.
Alejandro Page, GDELS Vice President for Programs, commented on the decision: “This decision again demonstrates the excellence of GDELS in the field of tracked vehicles. The ASCOD is a state-of-the-art combat vehicle that fully meets the complex demands of today’s mission profiles.”
“The ASCOD will provide a significant increase in mobility, firepower and protection to the National Armed Forces of Latvia, and at the same time guarantee a considerable workshare for the domestic defense industry,” said Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS Vice President for Global Sales.
The ASCOD is already in use in different variants and configurations in the armed forces of five countries: Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Philippines, with 1,200 units in service or under contract.
ASCOD is a modular vehicle design based on the successful Common Base Platform concept developed by GDELS. The ASCOD offers a large interior volume with very compact dimensions and combines superior tactical maneuverability with excellent mine protection and modular additional armor.
GDELS delivers ASCOD to its customers with open architecture in a variety of variants and roles, all utilizing the same base platform, reducing complexity and costs while enabling custom solutions. For firepower, the ASCOD can accommodate a variety of turrets from different manufacturers ranging from 25mm to 120mm caliber, as well as Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM). ASCOD’s open architecture enables NATO interoperability and the integration of subsystems from different manufacturers. The ASCOD is a proven and modern combat vehicle that meets current and future requirements.
The ASCOD Family of Vehicles is a versatile and powerful land platform for current and future operation theatres which is operated by various NATO members countries. The modular design architecture offers adaptability and scalability and is remarkably cost-efficient for maintenance. With different payload capacities and growth potential and its alternative power pack and running gear, ASCOD offers a wide range of configurations which cover all the major roles of an Armored Fighting Vehicle; Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Armored Personnel Carrier, Command Post, Forward Observer, Repair, Recovery, Engineering, Artillery 155/52 (DONAR), Direct Fire / Light Tank or Bridge launcher and can integrate all types of turrets and weapon systems. The ASCOD Family of Vehicles comprises the Spanish PIZARRO, the Austrian ULAN, and the British AJAX. Currently, the first vehicles of the AJAX series are produced for the Royal Army.
The ASCOD has been involved in all the main national and international tracked armored programs AND maximizes its engineering capabilities with a Common Base Platform (CBP) which allows for design customization, with weapon system integration and mission payload definition.