In December 2019, the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) with a modernization contract to upgrade 181 deployed Wiesel 1 Armoured Weapon Carrier (AWC). This service life extension contract (NDV) is for Wiesel 1 , which will ensure that the vehicles will remain in service beyond 2030. The focus of the contract is on chassis improvements, ballistic and mine protection and the integration of modern communications and a new weapons system.
All three deployed versions of the Wiesel are to be upgraded by the company: one fitted with the E6-II-A1 turret armed with the Rheinmetall 20 mm MK 20 Rh 202 dual-feed cannon, with one becoming an anti-tank version and one becoming a reconnaissance version. The anti-tank version was originally fitted with a Raytheon TOW A1 anti-tank missile (ATM) launcher but this is to be replaced by the Eurospike MELLS ATM (Rafael’s Spike-LR) that is deployed by the German Army in several applications. In addition, FFG will supply 15 conversion kits for driving school vehicles.
The Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH is a medium-sized German Company in the form of a GmbH, which is based in Flensburg. FFG has more than 55 years of experience in the repair of military tracked and wheeled vehicles and offers a unique level of vertical integration in Germany. Based on these decades of experience, FFG has developed and successfully marketed innovative upgrades and NDV measures for various vehicle systems, domestically and internationally.
