New Space Technologies and EXCALIBUR ARMY unveil the new MEANDER amphibious vehicle
Prague, October 22, 2026 New Space Technologies (NST), part of the Czech industrial group Krill Business Partners (KBP), together with EXCALIBUR ARMY of the CSG group, unveil the first prototype of the new MEANDER amphibious tracked vehicle at the Future Forces Forum 2026 international exhibition in Prague. The vehicle is based on NST’s proprietary KALAN development amphibious platform and represents the result of a collaboration between two Czech companies that have combined their engineering, manufacturing, and professional expertise.
MEANDER is designed for the transport of personnel, materials, and military equipment in challenging terrain, including crossing water obstacles, swamps, and wetlands. In addition to the basic transport variant, its design allows for the development of specialized configurations according to the requirements of future users.
Czech technology as the foundation for the new vehicle
The foundation of the MEANDER is the KALAN amphibious platform, which New Space Technologies originally developed for civilian and rescue use and which is currently being tested by the Czech Fire Rescue Service.
Collaboration on the development of the military variant was confirmed by the signing of a memorandum between NST and EXCALIBUR ARMY at the Eurosatory 2026 trade fair in Paris. Just a few months later, both companies presented the first prototype of the vehicle.
As part of the project, New Space Technologies is responsible for technical development, engineering, and manufacturing, including the completion of the first prototype. EXCALIBUR ARMY brings its experience from the defense industry and is responsible for defining military, operational, and user requirements.
A significant milestone for New Space Technologies
The unveiling of the first prototype marks an important step for NST in the development of its own technologies and confirms the company's ability to execute complex development and manufacturing projects for both the civilian and defense sectors.
"MEANDER is a significant milestone for us. It shows that the technologies we develop in the Czech Republic have the potential to be applied in demanding international environments. This result is primarily due to our engineers, developers, and production colleagues who have put their experience and a tremendous amount of work into the project. I truly appreciate their dedication and the trust of our partners at EXCALIBUR ARMY. It is a result we can all be proud of," says Ivo Krill, Managing Director of New Space Technologies.
Technical specifications and potential applications
MEANDER is an over eleven-meter-long amphibious tracked vehicle with a total weight of up to 33 tons and a payload capacity of 13 tons. It is powered by a 440 kW air-cooled Tatra twelve-cylinder engine, which allows the vehicle to reach speeds of up to 48 km/h on land and approximately 12 km/h on water.
The spacious cargo area allows for the transport of up to 70 standing personnel, 12 stretchers with wounded, a medium-sized military truck, or a standard twenty-foot container. Loading is facilitated by an electrically operated rear ramp with a load capacity of 13 tons.
Although the vehicle is equipped with a tracked chassis and propellers for movement on water, it is operated similarly to a standard car. The steer-by-wire electronic control system uses a steering wheel and pedals, while a camera system and touchscreen display provide the crew with an overview of the vehicle and its surroundings.
Collaboration with potential for foreign markets
For EXCALIBUR ARMY, the MEANDER represents an expansion of its portfolio of ground military equipment to include a category of universal amphibious vehicles that can be used in logistics, transport, and specialized military operations.
"In many cases, armies need equipment that can transport soldiers, materials, or smaller vehicles across watercourses or swampy terrain without the need to build pontoon or engineering bridges. That is why we designed the Meander from the very beginning according to the actual requirements of military users," stated Adam Liska, CEO of EXCALIBUR ARMY.
Following the presentation of the first prototype, the project will continue with the next phase of development, testing, and verification of operational performance.
The shared goal of NST and EXCALIBUR ARMY is to bring a modern amphibious vehicle to market that combines Czech technical know-how, manufacturing capacity, and defense industry expertise.
About New Space Technologies
New Space Technologies s.r.o. (NST) is a Czech development, engineering, and manufacturing company that is part of the Krill Business Partners (KBP) industrial group. It focuses on the development and implementation of technically demanding projects and specialized vehicles for both civilian and defense use. Its proprietary development projects include the KALAN amphibious platform, which served as the basis for the MEANDER military vehicle created in collaboration with EXCALIBUR ARMY.
