Rheinmetall to supply Fuchs 2 carrier components for partner production

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has accepted an order within the three-digit-million-euro range to supply components of the Fuchs (or ‘Fox’ in German) 2 armoured personnel carrier to an undisclosed international buyer.

The client aims to produce the 6×6 tracked vehicle at a factory in a partner country. The current follow-up orders also include kits for conversion and the supply of spare part packages.

Booked in December 2023, delivery of the kits — both for production and conversion — starts this year and will be complete in 2028, according to a company statement from 29 January 2024, outlining the details of the contract for the first time.

Rheinemtall claims that the production facility in the partner country has seen an increase in added value in recent years as well as investments to ensure high-quality machining, welding and surface treatment.

“This long-standing strategic partnership is thus entering a new, promising phase, including the potential export of Fuchs 2 vehicles produced in the partner country.”

The Fuchs 2 has been in the German Army inventory for almost five decades. Around 1,800 Fuchs vehicles have been built to date.

The vehicle has a maximum combat weight of 20,000kg and is fully amphibious. The main improved features incorporated into the Fuchs 2 are the integration of a more powerful, low emission engine allowing a payload increase of 4 tonnes (t) to a total of 9.4t, depending on the version.

Operators can fot the vehicle with a range of weapon systems including a Rheinmetall E8 turret or Rheinmetall low weight RLS 609 weapon station. The E8 turret can be armed with missiles, a 30 milimetre (mm) cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun.

The vehicles are in service with the German Army and the armed forces of Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and Venezuela.

The Fuchs has been in operational service with German Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops in Kosovo and Macedonia. Trials of the Fuchs 2 began in 2001.

In addition, the German Armed Forces have fielded multiple versions of the Fuchs 1 since 1979, deploying over a hundred of these vehicles in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The Bundeswehr has a total of approximately 940 Fuchs vehicles in its inventory, 272 of which are version 1A8.

Many militaries deploy different versions of the vehicle, which can be used as an armoured personnel carrier, mobile command post, field ambulance or for NBC reconnaissance.

The Fuchs 2 is an advanced version of its predecessor, featuring a larger interior, a more powerful engine, an updated chassis, improved modern protection, and a digital electrical system.