On September 15, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, François Bausch, announced the government’s decision to acquire 80 armored command, liaison and reconnaissance vehicles (CLRV) for the Luxembourg Army. The CLRVs which are based on the General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) EAGLE V wheeled armored vehicle will replace the current “Hummer” and “PRV” (Protected Reconnaissance Vehicle) vehicles, which have become obsolete. The acquisition has been carried out with the support of specialized teams from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), which will also provide logistical and technical support throughout the life cycle of the new CLRVs. The fleet upgrade enhance the operational capabilities of the Luxembourg Armed Forces.
“After the recent purchase of the EAGLE V 6×6 as Protected Ambulance Vehicle (PAV), GDELS is very proud to contribute another important capability to the Luxembourg Army with the EAGLE V 4×4 CLRV. EAGLE V 4×4 and/or 6×6 user nations now comprise Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland”, said Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, Vice President GDELS International Business & Services.
“The decision is based on three aspects. First, and this is the most important in my opinion, that our soldiers are best protected when deployed on a mission. Second, to modernize our equipment and increase our operational capabilities and third, to ensure interoperability within the army and with our allies”, said the Minister of Defense, François Bausch during the press conference.
The selected vehicle system consists of three components:
The EAGLE V from the GDELS, comprising suitable protection against mines, explosive devices and small caliber gunfire and very good all-terrain performance;
The remotely operated firing station DeFNder Medium from FN HERSTAL, protecting the shooter and equipped with day and night cameras and smoke canisters; and
The SCORPION communication system from THALES, interoperable with the Armed Forces of Belgium and France.
The Command Liaison and Reconnaissance Vehicles (CLRV) requirement was borne out of a study conducted by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) that examined Luxembourg’s options for modernising its ground vehicle fleet. The multi-role and multi-purpose CLRV will feature high ballistic and mine protection. It will be equipped with a specific remote weapon station and French SCORPION programme based mission equipment to ensure interoperability with international partners. Project Scorpion is a multinational military modernization program which uses military-run experimentation for acquisition of new armaments. Project Scorpion also tests new military behaviors such as effects-based operations, network-centric warfare, and irregular warfare and civilian-military concepts. Mission equipment commonality with Belgium and France will allow common obsolescence management and logistic synergies, thus reducing CLRV fleet support costs.
