German defense contractor Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) has unveiled two new specialized configurations of its Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV), targeting the growing market demand for mobile air defense and counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities. The ACSV is a direct evolution of FFG’s Protected Mission Module Carrier (PMMC) G5 family of light tracked vehicles. While the vehicle shares a conceptual lineage and visual profile with the legacy American M113 platform—a system FFG has extensive experience modernizing—the company emphasizes that the PMMC G5 is an entirely new, ground-up design. To create the ACSV variant, FFG modified the original PMMC G5 design by truncating the rear hull and replacing it with a flat rear cargo deck. This configuration provides a payload capacity of 8.5 tonnes, specifically engineered to transport interchangeable ISO 10-foot mission containers. This revised flat-deck architecture is currently the only variant of the platform to have entered full-scale serial production, a milestone achieved in 2022.
The two newly presented configurations leverage the ACSV’s modular deck to address contemporary battlefield threats, particularly loitering munitions and tactical UAS:
Kinetic Air Defense/C-UAS Configuration: The first variant is equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS) hosting a 30 mm automatic cannon capable of firing programmable airburst ammunition. The turret features an integrated 360-degree radar array for target acquisition and tracking, with options to integrate anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) for multi-role engagement capability.
Directed Energy C-UAS Configuration: The second variant integrates a dedicated laser module, designated as the Drone Light Counter UAS system, offering a low-cost-per-shot directed energy solution against Class 1 and Class 2 drones.
FFG operates as a medium-sized enterprise based in Flensburg, Germany, specializing in the manufacture, maintenance, and modernization of tracked and wheeled armored vehicles. Originally established in 1963 as the tracked vehicles division of the shipbuilder Flenburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) (founded 1872), FFG was spun off as an independent entity in 1980. The company has maintained a continuous framework agreement with the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) for over 50 years to overhaul and service armored vehicles. As of the mid-2020s, FFG employs over 900 personnel globally, with defense and environmental technology exports spanning more than 40 countries. Its core manufacturing competencies include aluminum CNC-milling, certified ballistic welding, and hydraulic engineering.
