Rheinmetall won a $143.6 million German Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) follow-on contract order to modernize 90 Fuchs/Fox armored transport vehicles, the company said Dec. 12.
The contract work will enhance the vehicles’ overall performance level, expanding their operational scope, improving survivability, and adding new technical features. The contract was awarded by Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) following a decision by the budget committee of the German Parliament to make the necessary funds available.
“The current order underscores once again Rheinmetall’s role as a premium supplier of army equipment and one of the world’s foremost producers of military vehicles, making it a trusted partner of the Bundeswehr and the armed forces of numerous nations around the globe,” the company said in a statement.
This vehicle entered service in the 1970s and is currently being used in international operations like MINUSMA in Mali, Resolute Support in Afghanistan, and KFOR in Kosovo.
The company previously upgraded 177 Germany Fuchs/Fox vehicles to the latest 1A8 standard. The 1A8 model offers greater resistance to landmines and improvised explosive devices while also providing greater protection against ballistic threats, Rheinmetall said.
The Bundeswehr has previously fielded various 1A8 variants including mobile command post, armored personnel carrier, field ambulance, an EOD vehicle, an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapons) detection variant, and the Route Clearing Package (RCP) operator vehicle used for neutralizing mines and improvised explosive devices.
Additional Fuchs/Fox vehicles will now be reconfigured for command, APC, and EOD roles and an additional option for Joint Fire Support Coordination Team vehicles. This will raise the total Bendeswehr deployed 1A8 vehicles to 267, Rheinmetall said.
Vehicle delivery is set to start in 2017 and finish in 2020.