Germany gives Ukraine mine-cultivator, infantry fighting vehicles, tractors and more
On September 13, the German government announced a new military aid package for Ukraine. Among the variety of vehicles on the list, you can see demining machines and ambulances.
The government’s website details the positions in the total number of deliveries and in the current tranche. The list is impressive. The equipment was selected to meet the needs of the Ukrainian army.
The engineering units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be happy to receive two more Wisent 1s, which are known in German documents as Minenräumpanzer, or demining tanks, but are better known to Ukrainians as demining vehicles.
In fact, there is a lot of the tank here. First, it is a tank without a turret and gun, as it is based on the Leopard 2. Secondly, it has strong ballistic protection against mines, which corresponds to the fifth and third levels according to NATO STANAG 4569 standards.
The powerful 44.5-ton Wisent mine-clearing vehicle, or “bison,” is powered by a 960 hp diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission. It has a hydrogas suspension. As in the tank, the interior compartment is equipped with air conditioning.
So far, the Armed Forces have six such vehicles, and with the new tranche, there will be eight. Many other combat and dual-purpose vehicles were added.
A selection of equipment from the September tranche of deliveries by the German government:
- 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles with ammunition;
- 2 Wisent demining machines 1;
- 20 RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones;
- 2 mobile antenna systems;
- 1 8×8 HX81 tractor and four semi-trailers;
- 5 8×8 lifting machines;
- 9 vehicles (trucks/minibuses/all-terrain vehicles);
- 3 ambulances.