Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has secured a contract to upgrade and sustain the British Army’s Fuchs (Fox) CBRN reconnaissance vehicles and training simulator.
The £16m contract was awarded by the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
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The Fuchs is a 6×6 armoured vehicle capable of detecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Germany delivered 11 Fuchs vehicles to the British Army in 1990 to support ground operations during the First Gulf War.
Under the contract, RBSL will address obsolescence issues in the vehicles, as well as upgrade the system with the latest generation of sensing capabilities.
Contracted work is expected to improve the ability of the vehicles to detect CBRN threats. It will also support operational readiness, as well as improve interoperability of the fleet with several of the UK’s Nato partners.
The work will be led by RBSL’s facility in Telford, West Midlands, UK, with the support of the local supply chain.
UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey, said: “With the military landscape rapidly changing, it has never been more important to develop our capabilities and continue to strive for innovation and adaptability.
“This impressive contract award is a strong and positive step to evolve our traditional equipment into nimble and ground-breaking technologies.”
RBSL is a joint venture company that focuses on providing combat vehicles design, manufacturing and support services.
The company employs around 450 people based at sites across the UK.
RBSL managing director Peter Hardisty said: “RBSL looks forward to applying our extensive knowledge and experience with armoured vehicles to the Fuchs programme.
“The contract protects key engineering skills in the UK, it presents an opportunity to exploit new technology, and it provides the British Army with an enhanced capability.”
