| Is Vehicle: | yes |
| F9 | |
| Type: | |
| Origin: | UAE |
| Service: | 2017–present |
| Used By: | See operators |
| Production Date: | 2017–Present |
| Variants: | See variants |
| Primary Armament: | Modular, some unarmed, others ARX20 20mm cannon |
| Armour: | Cast armor rated at B7/STANAG 4569-2 and mine resistance rated at STANAG 4569-1 |
| Engine: | 6.7L power stroke V8 turbo-diesel |
| Transmission: | TorqShift 6-speed automatic |
| Crew: | 2, up to 9 passengers |
The Panthera F9 is a UAE-designed 5-door armored personnel carrier designed for border protection, policing and low-intensity military operations. The vehicle is designed to have a fully modular weapons system, with a base model sold without any armament. The F9 comes equipped with a remote controlled, roof-mounted search light, run-flat tyres, a rear-view camera, air conditioning, as well as side and rear facing gun ports.[1]
The base model F9 is produced by MSPV in the United Arab Emirates. The Panthera F9 is also produced at a military production plant located in Ankara, Turkey.
The Panthera F9 is officially used by the armed forces of the UAE and Egypt. Furthermore, Turkish-made Panthera F9s have been supplied as military aid to various armed groups in the Syrian Opposition during the ongoing Syrian Civil War,[2] [3] [4] [5] while UAE-made models were shown to be in possession of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Tobruk-based Libyan National Army, during the course of the Second Libyan Civil War.[6] [7]
The company that designed and produced the F9, Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV), partnered with French defense firm Nexter Systems to offer the M9 Panthera with a Nexter Systems ARX20 remote-controlled 20mm cannon, with an effective range of up to 1,200m. It may also employ a 7.62×51mm NATO belt-fed machine gun with up to 300 rounds, a GALIX Lacroix smoke discharger, as well as electronic fire detection and waste disposal systems.[8] [9] [10]
Any F9 may optionally be fitted with a C4ISR surveillance system, electronic counter-measures, a non-lethal "STORM" or other custom configurations. It can also be fitted with a 360 degree ring mount, which can accept standard small arms.
The Panthera M9 is also offered in an armored ambulance configuration, holding up to 4 stretchers.
Several more vehicles of the Panthera family exist, with sizes ranging from 6 tonne to 23 tonne variants.[11] [12]
Cameroon
Egypt
Kenya[13]
Libya
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Ukraine (delivery from December 2022)[15]