Rheinmetall has secured a contract from the Royal Netherlands Army to modernise its fleet of Bergepanzer 3 Büffel armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs).

Initially, Rheinmetall will carry out a combat performance upgrade of four vehicles. The second phase will see the corresponding upgrade of another 21 vehicles.

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The company will completely overhaul the Dutch military’s Bergepanzer 3 Büffel ARVs with immediate effect and will upgrade them to the latest technological and tactical standard.

The modernisation will extend the service life of the tried-and-tested combat support vehicles until 2040.

Rheinmetall plans to deliver the first vehicles to the Dutch Armed Forces at the beginning of 2021.

Set to be carried out at the company’s locations in Germany and Ede in the Netherlands, modernisation work will include a complete overhaul of the individual ARVs and a new digital operating concept.

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“The new battlefield recovery equipment, which will boost the vehicle’s tactical effectiveness, will be transferred to the rear section of the vehicle.”

Work will also include installation of visualisation technology, mission packages featuring ballistic and mine protection, and battlefield recovery equipment along with a universal transport platform.

Technical documentation, training and other services also form part of the contract.

New force protection features on and in the vehicle will keep the crew safe from modern battlefield threats, while visualisation systems, digital operating elements and command systems will support them when performing their tasks.

The new battlefield recovery equipment, which will boost the vehicle’s tactical effectiveness, will be transferred to the rear section of the vehicle.

Additionally, the upgraded version of the Bergepanzer 3 Büffel ARV will feature a flexible-use universal transport platform mounted on its rear section.

Earlier this month, Rheinmetall secured a framework contract valued at approximately €109m to supply artillery shells to Bundeswehr, the unified Armed Forces of Germany.

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