Eine aufschlussreiche Übersicht über die Entwicklungen der Plattform von den 1990ern bis heute:
https://warsight.com/2026/08/27/hunter- ... -of-ascod/
Hier nur ein kleiner Auszug des sehr ausführlichen Berichts:
GDELS has continued to develop and refine the ASCOD-Heavy series over the years, using their ‘ASCOD EVO’ in-house developmental platform to test various upgrades and configurations, as well as sending the platform for competitive trials. This can be thought of as a kind of ‘live testbed’ or continuously-changing prototype. Different configurations of the ASCOD EVO were used for the Slovakian and Latvian vehicle trials.
In the Slovakian trials, ASCOD EVO secured the second-most points of all contenders, just behind BAE Systems’ CV90 (which was ultimately selected), and ahead of Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx (3rd) and HSW’s Borsuk (4th). A slightly different configuration of ASCOD EVO then went on to win the Latvian trials in November 2024, beating out the Hanwha K21, which was serving as a trials stand-in for Redback, and the Otokar Tulpar. GDELS were subsequently awarded a contract for 42 vehicles by the Latvian MoD in January 2025, followed up by an order for a further 42 vehicles in June 2025. The vehicles ordered by Latvia were in a further-developed configuration of ASCOD that would later come to be known as ASCOD Hunter.
May 2025 marked a major milestone for the ASCOD-Heavy series, with GDELS unveiling the Nemesis self-propelled howitzer (SPH). This used a cab and flatbed variant of the ASCOD-Heavy design, referred to by GDELS as the ‘ASCOD Heavy Mission Carrier’ (HMC). According to GDELS, the base platform, what the company refers to as the ‘rolling chassis’, is the same for both the conventional AFV version of ASCOD-Heavy and ASCOD HMC. To unpack this slightly, the ‘rolling chassis’ comprises the lower hull, running gear, power pack, electronic architecture, and electrical equipment.
This marks a shift into the ‘modularisation’ of ASCOD, with the ability to accept swappable rear payload modules, akin to the Boxer family. Though a difference is that while the Boxer family’s implementation generally relies on swapping out proprietary modules, GDELS’ flat payload area allows for ready compatibility with palletised loads or 3 m (10 ft) ISO containers. This capability was demonstrated at Eurosatory 2026, where GDELS showcased the palletised Skorpion 2 mine-laying module from DND fitted to ASCOD HMC.
GDELS have further added that these modules are interchangeable across both the ASCOD HMC and the Piranha HMC 10×10. This has been demonstrated with Nemesis SPH configuration, which is armed with the same KNDS Artillery Gun Module (AGM) as that used by the Piranha IV 10×10. According to GDELS, various other swappable modules are in the works, including drone launcher and air defence modules.
So we come to the unveiling of Latvia’s ASCOD Hunter in April 2026. This can be thought of as a further-developed version of the ASCOD-Heavy series, and indeed looks set to become the first in-service vehicle within the ASCOD-Heavy lineage, with initial deliveries to the Latvian army due later in 2026. Though the actual in-service date for Hunter will also depend on the timings around turret integration, since final assembly is taking place in Latvia.
Looking ahead, in the near-term in Latvia, GDELS expects to demonstrate how Hunter can be further enhanced through the integration of counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) technologies. While GDELS did not provide specific details, Warsight expects that the technologies in question are likely to include some of the those the company displayed on its C-UAV configured Piranha V 8×8 at Eurosatory 2026.
Hunter breaks cover
Hunter is the most recent configuration of the ASCOD-Heavy line, and features a number of modifications over earlier models in the series. Specifically, due to there being no in-service ASCOD-Heavy derived platform to compare it to, the ASCOD EVO configuration used for trials in Latvia will be used as the baseline for comparison.
ASCOD Hunter key specifications
Crew: 3+6
Dimensions without turret (LWH): 7.42 m × 3.35 m × 2.17 m (to hull roof)
Dimensions with turret (LWH): 7.42 m × 3.35 m × 3.4 m (to turret roof)
Kerb weight (with turret): 33 tonnes
Gross vehicle weight: Up to 42 tonnes
Tracks: Soucy CRTs (Steel optional)
Suspension: Torsion bar, with rotary dampers at 1st, 2nd, and 6th roadwheel stations, and bump stops.
Engine: MTU 8V 199 TE21
Engine power: 600 kW (800 hp)
Transmission: Renk HSWL-256B
Maximum speed: >70 km/h
Reverse speed: 46 km/h
Maximum gradient: 60%
Side slope: 40%
Trench crossing: 2.5 m
