General Dynamics European Land Systems delivers the 500th EAGLE to the Bundeswehr
Posted on 2014-04-28
KAISERSLAUTERN – On 4 April 2014, the 500th EAGLE Command and Function Vehicle from General Dynamics European Land Systems was ceremonially delivered to the Bundeswehr.
On 4 April, approximately 100 invited representatives from the government and industry joined to celebrate the delivery of the 500th EAGLE in Kaiserslautern. Dr. Christian Kauth, Managing Director of General Dynamics European Land Systems-Germany (GDELS-Germany), welcomed the audience with representatives from the Federal Ministry of Defense, Inspector of the Army, and BAAINBw, and members of the Bundestag, as well as from the City of Kaiserslautern.
In their speeches, Vice Admiral J.G. Rühle, department head of the AIN, Federal Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General B. Kasdorf, Inspector of the Army, First Director BAAINBw Mr. Minning, praised the EAGLE vehicle for its superior protection, high mobility and reliability. They also noted that General Dynamics European Land Systemshas always delivered the EAGLE vehicles on schedule, at cost, and to the expected quality. It was even possible to procure the EAGLE V and still remain below the planned budget.
At the event, Dr. Kauth announced that General Dynamics European Land Systems-Germany delivered the first EAGLE V vehicles to the Bundeswehr only 291 calendar days after placement of the order. “General Dynamics European Land Systemsis proud to have achieved this milestone and would like to thank the German Bundeswehr for the trust and confidence they place in our company and our products,” said Dr. Kauth.
“To achieve optimum solutions regarding procurement and life cycle costs, we focus on a high degree of commonality with respect to the predecessor model EAGLE IV, i.e. in the area of assembly commonality as well as operation and maintenance. We also strive for better manufacturability of the EAGLE V. We wanted to prove that it is possible to achieve higher performance at lowercost.”
The EAGLE baseline vehicles are manufactured in Kreuzlingen (Switzerland), fully assembled in Kaiserslautern and Sembach (Germany), and delivered to the Bundeswehr from there. The EAGLE fleet is serviced by technicians from General Dynamics European Land Systems -Germany, both for pre-deployment training and directly on the field in Afghanistan and Mali.
From 2008, the Bundeswehr has procured 495 highly protected EAGLE IV Command and Function Vehicles in several batches in order to increase the protection of German soldiers on their missions abroad, such as in the Hindu Kusch where the EAGLE was successfully used from 2009 on. In June 2013 and in February 2014, the Bundeswehr acquired further 176 vehicles of the successor model EAGLE V.
The EAGLE V 4x4 sets the standard for protected wheeled vehicles in the weight class of up to 10 t. The Cummins turbocharged diesel engine, in connection with an Allison 5-speed automatic transmission, the remarkable De Dion axle system with the patented roll stabilizer, the tire‑pressure control system and the permanent all-wheel drive give the EAGLE V superior on-road and off-road mobility. Thanks to the modular protection system, the EAGLE V offers a very high level of protection against ballistic threats, mines, and IEDs. In order to maximize mission readiness and protection of the soldiers, all vehicles are equipped with air conditioning and NBC overpressure systems.
General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS),headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD), and conducts its business through four European operating sites located in Germany, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. With more than 2‘250 highly skilled technical employees, General Dynamics European Land Systems’ companies design, manufacture and deliver land combat systems, including wheeled, tracked, and amphibious vehicles, bridge systems, armaments and munitions, to global customers. (More information: www.gdels.com)