Image source: topwar.ru
The PASI XA-188 6x6 is a heavy version of the XA–180 APC specially developed by the Finnish company Sisu (now Patria) on behalf of the Dutch Marine Corps. Unlike the basic version, it has reinforced armor and is able to withstand a bullet from a 14.5 x 114 mm cartridge. Because of this, she became heavier and stopped swimming.
Under a 2010 contract worth only €4.6 million, the Netherlands transferred 81 PASI XA-188 6x6 armored personnel carriers to Estonia, meaning one vehicle cost €57 thousand. On the one hand, the Netherlands was then reducing its marines and wanted to get rid of the fleet of vehicles so as not to spend money on their storage; on the other, it was a form of support for a NATO ally.
Image source: topwar.ru
Despite the powerful armor, the equipment is vulnerable to drone attacks. The 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian army demonstrated the retrofitting of the XA-188 with additional protection designed to counter attack UAVs. Apparently, the work is being carried out by the local Bristol Trust company. The removable structure consists of metal frames with a tightly stretched steel wire mesh, which, judging by the photo, will completely cover the car.
Unlike the lattice protection, which consists of numerous corners, the mesh solution is much lighter (the weight drops 10 times). This design was proposed by a number of Western defense companies back in the early 2010s to enhance the protection of wheeled armored vehicles from RPGs, and the mesh was made not only of high-strength steel, but also of synthetic materials and composites.
