Z-family

Germany’s Bundestag Budget Committee has approved a multi-project defense package to equip the Bundeswehr’s Special Forces with new air-transportable light combat vehicles, mid-range operational boats, and high-frequency radios. The acquisitions aim to strengthen the mobility, communication, and maritime capability of Germany’s elite units, according to hartpunkt. Both the Budget Committee and the Defense Committee endorsed the programs, enabling the Ministry of Defense to move forward with contracts valued in the hundreds of millions of euros. A central part of the package is the procurement of a new family of light, air-transportable combat and support vehicles (EGF and UstgFzg) in the 3.2-ton class for the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK). The Bundeswehr will sign a seven-year framework agreement with FTS Flensburg Technology Systems GmbH (FTS) — a joint venture between FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI/ELTA) — covering the production and delivery of up to 150 combat vehicles and 50 support vehicles. FTS emerged as the winner in a three-way competition, hartpunkt reported. The initial order will include 40 combat vehicles, 14 support variants, and a special tool kit, with a total value of about €30 million. Additional orders remain optional under the framework contract. The new vehicles are based on IAI’s Z-Family of all-terrain vehicles, specifically the ZD variant. The Z-family is a series of 4×4 multi-purpose vehicles primarily intended for the Israeli ground forces and security agencies, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries’ subsidiary ELTA Systems in Israel. IAI advertises the ZD as an “ultra-light command vehicle” proven in operational service. It features a foldable roll bar, a detachable winch with mounting points at the front, rear, and center, and a modular maintenance concept built around widely available commercial off-the-shelf components. The light air-transportable combat vehicle variant will seat three and carry an electrically assisted mount capable of supporting a 12.7 mm machine gun, MG6, or automatic grenade launcher. The support vehicle variant, designed primarily for logistics and material transport, will feature two seats and no primary weapon station. Powered by either a 2.4-liter Ecotec or 2.8-liter diesel engine, the ZD weighs 1.6 tons empty with a gross vehicle weight of 3.1 tons. The combination of compact dimensions, high mobility, and rapid air-deployability makes it suitable for special operations behind enemy lines. The package also authorizes the acquisition of up to 26 mid-range operational boats, with nine units firmly ordered and seventeen optional, worth approximately €100 million including related services and equipment. Deliveries are planned between 2027 and 2030. The new boats will replace the aging RHIB 1010 craft used by the Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM), which will reach the end of their service life in 2026. The supplier will be Yachtwerft Meyer GmbH of Bremen, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French specialist Zodiac MilPro. To cover the transition period until the new boats are ready, the Bundeswehr procurement office (BAAINBw) purchased four 11M NSWRIB boats from United States Marine Inc., the same type used by the U.S. Navy SEALs for insertion and extraction operations, hartpunkt said. The committee also approved the purchase of 275 AN/PRC-160 HF radios from U.S. defense company L3Harris under a government-to-government deal with the United States. The radios will improve beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) tactical communications for Special Forces without depending on satellite infrastructure. This order follows a 2024 decision to procure 3,300 similar units. The AN/PRC-160, weighing roughly four kilograms, transmits voice and data at rates up to 120 kb/s and is fully interoperable with the PRC-117G systems already fielded by the Bundeswehr. According to a Bundeswehr report, “The VHF multiband capability and network interface make the AN/PRC-160 fully interoperable with PRC-117G, allowing it to be expanded into an extended communication node through direct network coupling.” Together, the new vehicles, boats, and radios will enhance the Bundeswehr’s ability to deploy rapidly and sustain communications in complex operational environments.

Z-family

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Z-family

Germany approves new FTS/IAI ZD vehicles for Special Forces

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