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The Dutch armed forces have commissioned Rheinmetall with the second phase of modernizing their fleet of Büffel 3 armored vehicles. This measure is intended to increase the combat value of 21 vehicles. The order is in the mid double-digit million euro range. The phase 2 now triggered follows an initial order from April 2019. At that time, the royal Dutch army Rheinmetall had commissioned Büffel 3 to modernize four armored personnel carriers.
The modernization measures are carried out at the Rheinmetall locations in Kassel and in the Dutch town of Ede. They include a complete overhaul of the individual armored vehicles as well as the changeover to a new digital operating concept, the installation of modern sighting means, mission packages with ballistic and mine protection as well as the equipment with new battlefield recovery facilities and universal carrying platforms. There is also technical documentation, training and other services.
The first vehicles will be handed over to the Dutch armed forces in early 2021 and will therefore be available for use by VJTF 2023 in good time.
With the completely new technological and tactical standard, the service life of the armored armored vehicles developed by Rheinmetall and based on the Leopard 2 chassis and tried and tested has been extended to 2040.
With this new order, a new standard for modern mountain armor is establishing itself. The Bundeswehr had already commissioned Rheinmetall with the modernization of its Bergepanzer 3 fleet in December 2018 in order to adapt it to the current deployment scenarios. Similar mission configurations are in use by NATO partner Canada and the Swedish Armed Forces.
The Bergepanzer 3 is also used in Switzerland, Spain, Greece and Singapore. South Korea used the mountain-specific equipment kits to build the K1 ARV armored personnel carrier on the chassis of the K1 main battle tank. Using the same concept, Char de Dépannage DNG / DCL armored personnel carriers with Rheinmetall kits were built in the United Arab Emirates and France on the chassis of the LeClerc main battle tank.
The buffalo was realized as a German-Dutch joint development by Rheinmetall and was introduced to the group in 1992 with 75 (Germany) or 25 (Netherlands). The Bergepanzer 3 is part of the armored formations with Leopard 2, artillery formations with PzHaubitze 2000 and units of mobile logistics.
Characteristics of the buffalo are the crane, which can be rotated through 270 degrees and has a lifting capacity of 30 tons, as well as the winch with 34 tons of tractive force. The tractive force can be multiplied with pulleys. A quick recovery facility - after the modernization at the back - enables the recovery of failed combat vehicles from the battlefield without having to leave the armored protection. The sign on the front of the vehicle is used to support when lifting heavy loads, but can also be used to clear obstacles.
The 54.3-ton recovery tank is powered by a 1,103 kW MTU diesel engine and has a top speed of 68 km / h. The three-member crew is protected from ballistic and blast threats in the combat area. The SPECTUS ("SPECtral Technology for Unlimited Sight") driver vision device from Carl Zeiss Optronics, equipped with a thermal imaging camera and parallel residual light intensifier camera, improves visibility and enables forward and backward driving - and the use of the rapid recovery system - under armored protection.
https://esut.de/2019/12/meldungen/ruestung2/17497/niederlaendische-bergepanzer-werden-modernisiert/
