Rheinmetall Contract for FUCHS 2 Kits

Rheinmetall has announced that an international customer has awarded a €250M contract for FUCHS 2 armoured vehicle assembly kits. Including an initial requirement of spare parts, the kits are to be produced at Rheinmetall’s Kassel plant and will be delivered between 2021 and 2023 for final assembly in the customer’s country, Rheinmetall said. With an estimated unit price of €6M, the kits could cover about 40 vehicles.

So far, 1,600 FUCHS armoured transport vehicles (TPz) have been built, most of them as the FUCHS 1. The German Bundeswehr still uses 940 TPz FUCHS 1, 272 of which in the latest FUCHS 1A8 version with protection against mines and booby traps. The ballistic protection of the vehicles has been considerably improved.

FUCHS 2 Improvements

The TPz FUCHS 2 looks similar to its predecessor, however, it has a more powerful engine (315 kW) and increased payload (eight tonnes). These are alongside improvements in the combat compartment, digital onboard network and modernised running gear with tyre pressure control system. Other sources have reported that FUCHS 2 vehicles have been delivered to the USA (conversion) and the United Arab Emirates. In cooperation with Algeria, just under 1,000 FUCHS 2 vehicles have been built in the last five to six years. It is not known how far the project has progressed.

The 6×6 FUCHS is in service in numerous variants. These include crew transport, command post, ambulance and NBC reconnaissance. In the Bundeswehr, more than 100 FUCHS vehicles 1s have proven their value in Afghanistan.

The latest version in Rheinmetall’s portfolio is the FUCHS 1A8 Plus. Major enhancements include a new drive unit, a new transfer case, a new brake system, an improved steering system and a monitor and camera vision system. The FUCHS 1A8 Plus configuration could be available either by upgrading existing vehicles or by building new ones.

Gerhard Heiming