Czech Republic signs contract on armoured carriers

Czech deputy defence minister Martin Bartak has signed a contract with the General Dynamics Group, which includes the Austrian firm Steyr, for 107 Pandur II armoured personnel carriers. The Czech government approved the deal in early March and the price of the order, including logistics and training, is 14.4 billion crowns. The Czech military will receive the first Pandurs this year and the last in 2013. After they pass military tests, the APCs should be deployed in the military missions abroad, primarily in Afghanistan.