General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag announced today that it signed a contract with armasuisse on November 18th, 2019, for the delivery of 100 protected EAGLE 6×6 reconnaissance vehicles for the Swiss Army.

The EAGLE 6×6 was selected after an international competition conducted by armasuisse, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement. This first order of the EAGLE 6×6 is a milestone for the latest development of the EAGLE vehicle family.

The 100 EAGLE V 6×6 vehicles will be the vehicle platform of the tactical reconnaissance system “TASYS.” TASYS will be used to gather intelligence for the Swiss Armed Forces including support of civil authorities. It consists of an EAGLE V 6×6 carrier vehicle, a multi-sensor system mounted on a telescopic mast, and a data processing system. For self-protection, the highly-mobile EAGLE V 6×6 TASYS is armoured and equipped with a remotely controlled weapon station.

The vehicle offers sufficient payload reserves to allow for future improvements, such as the integration of additional sensors. The EAGLE V 6×6 TASYS starts production in 2020 and will be fielded between 2023 and 2025.

Besides the Swiss Army the EAGLE V 4×4 is also extensively used by both Denmark and Germany, where it is very popular with the troops. The further development of the EAGLE V 4×4 into the EAGLE V 6×6 was inspired by operational experience and the need for a vehicle with increased useful volume, more payload, very compact exterior dimensions, as well as constant high mobility and maximized protection.

“We are very proud that the Swiss Army is the first customer to introduce the EAGLE V 6×6,” says Oliver Dürr, Vice President Wheeled Vehicles and Managing Director of General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag.

Facts about the EAGLE V

The EAGLE V is available in 4×4 and 6×6 versions and is one of the most modern protected wheeled vehicles in its class. The EAGLE has already proven its efficiency and reliability in various military missions. Due to its power reserves, the EAGLE offers an ideal platform to meet both current and future requirements. In addition to its excellent protection against mines and improvised explosive devices, the EAGLE V 6×6 offers a high payload and a large transport volume, within very compact dimensions. With its unique axle and drive system, the EAGLE V delivers off-road mobility and on-road driving safety.

General Dynamics European Land Systems, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a business unit of General Dynamics and conducts its business through five European operating sites located in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. With around 2,200 highly skilled technical employees, the companies design, manufacture and deliver world-class land combat systems, including wheeled, tracked and amphibious vehicles, bridge systems, armaments, and munitions, to global customers.

The first four of the ZETROS 3643 tractor trucks with trailers, manufactured by German company Daimler AG, have been handed over to the Depot Storage Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces as part of the ongoing modernisation and updating of the Lithuanian military vehicle fleet.

Four more identical trucks with trailers will be delivered in 2020. Lithuania is the first of the three Baltic states to acquire the enhanced off-road capacity heavy duty trucks with trailers for transporting its self-propelled artillery howitzers and armoured recovery vehicles.

“The new towing-capable trucks with will help the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf to properly organise combat training for one of its units, Artillery Battalion. A transportation capacity is required for the Artillery Battalion personnel to reach exercise sites for training with their self-propelled PzH 2000 howitzers.

To date, the issue would be solved by buying transportation services which meant that the military and the suppliers had to do coordination. Now soldiers will be independent and able to do it when and how they need it,” Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Gen Valdemaras Rupšys says.

The newly procured ZETROS 3643 trucks with trailers are cargo transportation vehicles used for self-propelled PzH 2000 howitzers, Bergepanzer-2 armoured recovery vehicles, and other heavy and of non-standard dimensions military vehicles of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO allies. The trucks are capable of transporting particularly large weights depending on the speed – up to 70 tonnes.

The new acquisition will be used by the General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion and the Logistics Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf.

The contact on procurement the eight ZETROS 3643 tractor trucks with trailers was signed by the Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence in November 2018. The total value of the contract is approx. EUR 5.6 including VAT.

Another procurement for complementing and upgrading the Lithuanian Armed Forces vehicle fleet is 5-tonne payload Daimler AG UNIMOG U5000 tactical trucks, the bigger part of the total of 340 acquired trucks has been already delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Also, Mercedes-Benz ATVs, DAF trucks and road tractors, transport trailers, hitches, other vehicles of different roles bilaterally from the Netherlands Armed Forces on the basis of already signed contracts and a planned new contract.

Due to a significant and consistent financing the Lithuanian Armed Forces is currently intensely upgrading and updating infrastructure and weaponry in order to increase its combat power.

The most important ongoing modernisation projects concern integration of the Vilkas/Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles and PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, improvement of air defence (NASAMS mid-range air defence system) and logistical, individual personnel provision, replenishment of the currently use systems (acquisition of the JLTVs, etc.).
Source: Lithuania Ministry of Defence