ASCOD

The ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) is a family of armored fighting vehicles produced through a partnership between the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug and the Spanish firm Santa Bárbara Sistemas. Development began in 1982 to fulfill the Austrian military requirement for the Kampfschützenpanzer 90 and to replace aging personnel carriers in both nations. A collaboration with the Greek company ELVO was established in 1988 but ended in 1991, after which Steyr and Santa Bárbara Sistemas continued the project. The first prototype was presented in 1991 in Seville, and production commenced in 1996.

The platform features a front-mounted diesel engine and a rear compartment for dismounted personnel. Primary armament consists of a 30 mm Mauser MK 30/2 autocannon mounted in a stabilized, two-man turret capable of engaging targets while the vehicle is in motion. Secondary armament includes a 7.62 mm machine gun, with the Spanish variant utilizing the MG3 and the Austrian version using the FN MAG. The vehicle’s protection is based on rolled steel armor. The Austrian variant, known as the Ulan, is fitted with MEXAS composite armor and internal spall-liners, while the Spanish version, designated the Pizarro, incorporates SABBLIR explosive reactive armor along the frontal arc. The fire-control system varies by operator; the Ulan utilizes a digital Kollsman system, while the Pizarro employs the Indra Mk-10 with a digital ballistic computer and thermal imaging. Suspension is provided by torsion bars and Piedrafita rotary dampers.

Both Spain and Austria entered the vehicle into service in 2002. In Spanish service, the Pizarro is operated in several variants, including infantry fighting vehicles, command and communications vehicles, and sapper combat vehicles. Austria utilizes the Ulan primarily as an infantry fighting vehicle. Spain did not deploy the Pizarro during the ISAF mission due to the absence of a specific mine-protection kit. The ASCOD chassis has been adapted for other roles, including light tanks equipped with 105 mm or 120 mm guns, reconnaissance vehicles, and driver training platforms. In 2023, the Austrian government announced a modernization program for its fleet to upgrade electronic systems, observation equipment, and the electrical turret drive.