The European Commission has approved a 79-million-euro ($92.8 million) grant for the third phase of the FAMOUS program, a multinational effort led by Finnish firm Patria to develop next-generation European armored vehicle capabilities.
This phase of the project has a total budget of 115 million euros ($124 million), including contributions from participating states.
Falling under the European Defence Fund framework, FAMOUS 3 is set to build on earlier stages of the program, shifting focus toward harmonizing standards, improving interoperability, and increasing component commonality across European land systems.
The effort also aims to reduce lifecycle costs for both all-terrain and light armored vehicles by leveraging shared design approaches and streamlined support requirements.
Mobility and Combat
Previous phases of the program have been completed and led to the development of the TRACKX tracked armored vehicle, designed to test new approaches to mobility and combat performance in high-demand operational environments.
The vehicle weighs about 15 tons, can carry up to 12 personnel, including a two-member crew, and has a payload capacity of roughly 3.5 tons.
It is designed for a range of approximately 600 kilometers (372 miles) and can reach speeds of up to 88 kilometers (55 miles) per hour.
Next-Gen European Armored Platform
Development work will continue to draw on Patria’s industrial and technical base and that of its consortium partners, with the objective of refining performance and capabilities for future armored platforms used by EU member states.
To date, the program has involved 20 countries and more than 50 European defense companies.
Combined EU funding across previous phases has exceeded 100 million euros ($117 million), with approximately 20 million euros ($23.5 million) provided by national governments.
