The Bergepanzer 3 has served as a support vehicle for armoured combat units. Credit: Rheinmetall AG.

Rheinmetall has been awarded a contract by the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) to supply 23 armoured recovery vehicles of the Bergepanzer 3 series.

The order for the vehicles, known to Bundeswehr as the Bergepanzer 3 A2, is reportedly valued in the mid-three-digit million-euro range. It follows a decision by the Bundestag, Germany’s national parliament, on 10 June 2026 to approve funding for the procurement.

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This contract comes after Germany transferred 21 Bergepanzer 2 (BPz 2) and two Bergepanzer 3 (BPz 3) armoured recovery vehicles to Ukraine as part of its support efforts.

According to Rheinmetall, the new order is intended to replace these vehicles and reinforce the Bundeswehr’s capabilities in armoured recovery and support operations.

The first Bergepanzer 3 A2 vehicle is expected to be delivered by December 2027, which is 18 months after the contract was signed.

To enable this delivery schedule, Rheinmetall began production in advance through pre-financing. The final unit is projected to be delivered in June 2029.

The Bergepanzer 3 A2 model represents a modernised and updated version of the established Bergepanzer 3 platform, with enhancements addressing obsolescence.

Rheinmetall’s Bergepanzer 3 armoured vehicles features recovery, towing and securing functions for vehicles up to MLC 80, a 32-tonne crane, winches, a weapon station and smoke grenade launcher for self-defence and a battlefield recovery facility

The vehicles utilise the Leopard 2 chassis and are fully digitised.

More than 200 systems of this type are already in service among 12 nations, according to the company.

Rheinmetall stated: “The Bergepanzer 3 therefore ensures vital long-term support for armoured forces and is designed for being in service for decades.

“Investing in a modernised, future-proof vehicle fleet lays the foundations for the long-term availability of this capability within the Bundeswehr.”

The latest contract comes after Bundeswehr placed an additional order with Rheinmetall at the end of last month for over 2,000 military transport vehicles across several configurations. That contract is valued at €1.02bn ($1.18bn) gross.