Germany will send MRAP to Ukraine instead of armored personnel carriers – BILD

Germany will send BATT UMG armored vehicles to Ukraine instead of Fuchs wheeled armored personnel carriers.

This was reported by the German publication BILD.

In early June, the German government announced that it planned to transfer to Ukraine a security assistance package, which would include a large number of armored vehicles.

Thus, according to the update of the list of planned military assistance, dozens of armored vehicles, including 66 armored personnel carriers, should arrive in Ukraine.

On June 1, specialized edition ESUT (Europäische Sicherheit & Technik) reported that those would be upgraded German TPz 1 Fuchs wheeled armored personnel carriers from industrial reserves.

It was stated that armored vehicles would probably be modernized in Ukraine at a joint venture that Rheinmetall was currently establishing together with the Ukrainian state concern Ukroboronprom, and then would be supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On Friday, the German publication DPA reported that Berlin was considering purchasing Fuchs armored personnel carriers for Ukraine from the defense concern Rheinmetall, but chose the offer of Flensburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH (FFG), since the price of their armored vehicles was much lower.

At the request of BILD, the German Ministry of Defense said that after assessing the current proposals, the choice had fallen on vehicles from FFG as a more cost-effective solution.

According to the publication, these will be American BATT UMG armored vehicles, which are manufactured under license at Flensburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH. It is noted that the Ukrainian army has been using such vehicles since the end of 2022.

Deliveries to Ukraine of BATT UMG from Germany are due to begin in late 2023, but the exact date is not disclosed.

The BATT UMG is a 10 ton armored vehicle based on Ford F-550 chassis with the wheel formula 4×4. The vehicle is produced by the American company The Armored Group (TAG). The armored vehicle is equipped with an anti-mine protection system and has a reinforced design, while being equipped with military surveillance and communication systems.

In June 2022, TAG reported that it had received an order for 100 armored vehicles for the armed forces of an unnamed Eastern European country, likely referring to Ukraine.