Rheinmetall, a German defence and automotive company, announced that it has received a large order from an international partner to supply components for the Fuchs 2 (Fox) wheeled armoured vehicle. The order, worth a figure in the three-digit million-euro range, includes kits for production and conversion as well as spare part packages. The delivery of the kits will start in 2024 and will be completed in 2028.
Rheinmetall did not disclose the identity of the customer, but it is widely speculated that it is Algeria, the only country known to produce the Fuchs 2 under licence. Algeria and Germany signed a USD2.7 billion deal in 2014 to build the Fuchs 2 armoured vehicles in Algeria, as part of a strategic partnership between the two countries, with the first vehicle displayed in May 2015 when the Algerian Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah paid a courtesy Visit to the Republican Guard’s Special Intervention Regiment.
Algeria has already built around 980 Fuchs 2 vehicles, which are used by the Algerian Republican Guard and the Special Intervention Regiment. Algeria also operates around 1,200 Fuchs 2 vehicles in total.
Similarly, in 2018, Rheinmetall received an order from an international customer to provide the parts needed to manufacture the Fuchs 2 (Fox) Armoured Personnel Carrier, in an order worth over hundreds millions of Euros is to be delivered from 2019 to 2020. It turned out to be Algeria.
The Fuchs 2 is an advanced version of the Fuchs 1, which has been in service with the German Bundeswehr since 1979. The Fuchs 2 has a larger interior, a more powerful engine, an updated chassis, improved modern protection, and a digital electrical system. The Fuchs 2 can be used for various roles, such as armoured personnel carrier, mobile command post, field ambulance, or NBC reconnaissance. The Fuchs 2 is a versatile 6×6 wheeled armoured vehicle that has been deployed by several countries in various missions, including Afghanistan.
According to Rheinmetall, the production facility in the partner country has seen an increase in added value in recent years as well as investments to ensure high-quality machining, welding and surface treatment. The company said that this long-standing strategic partnership is entering a new, promising phase, which could also include the potential export of Fuchs 2 vehicles produced in the partner country.
The order from the partner country is a testament to the success story of the Fuchs 2, which has been built in a total of 1,800 units to date. Rheinmetall said that the order will also strengthen its position as a leading supplier of military vehicles and systems.