ASELSAN made the first delivery of the ARSUS 100 mast-mounted reconnaissance system to its European customer, announcing it in the official newspaper. Upon inspection, the vehicle was identified as an AMZ Bobr-3 produced by the Polish manufacturer AMZ-Kutno. Bobr-3 is in service as the LOTR 4x4 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle, replacing the Soviet-era BRDM-2. Poland plans to procure 286 LOTR vehicles in total towards 2035 per the contract signed in 2024, valued at $206 million.
Mast-based ARSUS 100 appears to feature an EO/IR suite coupled with a short-range radar which is likely intended for land units or UAVs.
Bobr-3 was designed with emphasis on amphibious use, which led to a boat-like lower structure and water jets of considerable size for optimised travel on water. The vehicle offers a base protection level of STANAG 4569 Level 2 (Protected versus 7.62x39 mm API ammunition), which can be upgraded to Level 3 (Protected versus 7.62x51 AP mm ammunition). While Bobr-3 is mainly in service as a reconnaissance vehicle, it is possible to mount other equipment like ATGM launchers.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
