Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has signed a contract with representatives of the Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) in Koblenz covering the delivery of a demonstrator for a new DINGO variant.

As part of a competitive bidding process for a protected command and mission carrier vehicle, the DINGO, which has gained a worldwide reputation for its unique level of protection, will for the first time be tested with an extended group compartment with mission-specific equipments offering space for up to nine personnel.

Modularity and maximum protection

The German Army intends to test the new DINGO 2 variant with different mission kits from early 2006. The total requirement of the German Army amounts to between 1,000 and 1,500 vehicles in this category. Modularised superstructures without sacrificing any of the high ballistic protection of the DINGO family allow universal applications of the DINGO 2 GFF in a wide variety of service branches. Thus, for instance, the DINGO 2 GFF is scheduled to replace the M113. “This contract represents a further milestone on the way to increasing the number of different variants in the DINGO programme. It at the same time underlines the leading position of our company in this field”, says Frank Haun, managing director and deputy chairman of the KMW Board of Management. “Over the past several years, we have consistently extended our product range towards wheeled vehicles and have thus adapted it to the new threat challenges facing the armed forces. Protected transport volume has been at the very top of the agenda and the modern system design of the DINGO 2 is the right answer in this respect”, continues Frank Haun.

The DINGO 2 – an export success story

The DINGO 2 with an extended group compartment has also been ordered by the Belgian armed forces which are equipping their troops with the DINGO as a mobile command post as well as an ambulance and radar command and control vehicle. Belgium has placed an order for a total of 220 DINGO 2 with an option for a further 132 vehicles. Furthermore and in addition to an ambulance variant, Austria intends also to acquire vehicles for NBC reconnaissance missions.

DINGO 2

The DINGO 2 is a consistent upgrade of the DINGO 1 all-protected carrier vehicle transport vehicle introduced into service in the year 2000 and proven in many foreign missions. For as many as eight crew, it currently affords the highest level of protection against modern hand-held weapons, artillery fragments, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines as well as against NBC combat agents. With its highly mobile off-road chassis, it reaches maximum speeds of more than 90 kph and a radius of action of approximately 1,000 km. Moreover, the DINGO 2 is air-transportable on C160-Transall, C130 Hercules and the future A400M aircraft.

KMW
24.11.2005