Germany will deliver 66 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine by the end of the year.
Berlin has contracted Flensburger Fahrzeugbau group to supply the FFG Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) to Kyiv, Bild revealed, citing a German Ministry of Defense spokesperson.
The Flensburg-based company produces the FFG APC in Germany. The FFG is the German version of the American BATT UMG, manufactured by The Armored Group.
Cheaper Vehicle
Last month, the German government announced its plan to send 66 APCs to Ukraine as part of a military assistance package that includes 110 Leopard 1 main battle tanks.
The announcement did not reveal the vehicle supplier, resulting in some German publications identifying the vehicle as Rheinmental’s Fuchs.
However, Bild clarified that the FFG’s cheaper cost compared to other vehicles helped it clinch the contract.
“After evaluating the existing offers, the choice fell on the product from FFG as the most economical solution, which is also available quickly,” it quoted the spokesperson as saying.
According to the outlet, the FFG cost is one-sixth that of the Fuchs.
Features
The BATT UMG is a six-meter (19.6 feet) all-terrain vehicle capable of transporting up to eight armed soldiers and two crew.
The 10-ton vehicle has a payload capacity of 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) and a top speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour. It also has a fuel capacity of 257 liters.
The vehicle has a mine and ballistic protection level of STANAG (Standardization Agreement) 2a/2b and STANAG 2, respectively.
The vehicle’s design allows for an extra 6,000 pounds (2,721 kilograms) of payload capacity for added armor.
100 FFGs on the Way to Ukraine
Meanwhile, The Armored Group has already begun supplying the FFGs to Ukraine as part of a $23.2 million order received from the Ukrainian government in June 2022
The contract calls for the supply of 100 FFGs.