Germany is buying 66 FFG armored vehicles for Ukraine: what kind of vehicles are they?
These are MRAR-class wheeled vehicles based on the Ford F-550 with a 4×4 wheel formula.
The German government purchases 66 new armored vehicles for Ukraine to transport the military to the battlefield. Until recently, it was unclear what kind of armored vehicles would be delivered to Ukraine – most experts believed that they would be Fuchs armored personnel carriers (manufactured by Rheinmetall). However, in fact, they bought completely different cars.
Germany’s BILD claims that the main contract for Ukraine was awarded not to Dusseldorf-based Rheinmetall, but to Flensburg-based FFG.
In response to the journalists’ inquiry, the Federal Ministry of Defense stated: “After evaluating the available proposals, we chose FFG products as the most cost-effective solution, and these machines can be quickly delivered.”
The ministry explained: “This is an FFG (FFG APC) armored personnel carrier. The contractor, FFG, will provide 66 vehicles ordered under the contract. The new vehicles have extraordinary off-road capability, so they will be deployed in Ukraine as a protected infantry fighting vehicle for troop transportation (battalion level).”
Among the reasons for purchasing these vehicles is that delivery to Ukraine is due to begin in late 2023 and that the Ukrainian army has been using up to 100 UMG BATTs since the end of 2022. But the main thing is that it is significantly cheaper than Fuchs armored vehicles, about six times cheaper! The decisive factor in favor of FFG, according to government sources, is “taxpayer savings.”
The FFG APC is a licensed American BATT UMG armored vehicle, which is now being manufactured under license in Germany at FFG plants.
The MRAR class armored vehicle based on the Ford F-550 with a 4×4 wheel configuration weighs ten tons. It can carry up to eight soldiers in addition to two crew members.
In addition to FFG APC, the Flensburg-based company received a government contract to supply Bandvagn 206 all-terrain tracked vehicles to Ukraine.
This time, 64 multi-purpose vehicles for the transportation of troops and supplies (made in Sweden by Hägglund) will be provided from FFG’s industrial stock. They must be put into working order to fulfill the order to support Ukraine. Some of the vehicles will come from the former Bundeswehr stocks.
