In a video clip, the FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) presented the development status of the armored multi-purpose platform Wisent 2. The clip provides an insight into some of the many different qualification tests that the Wisent 2 has undergone during its development into a modern, versatile and powerful armored support platform based on the Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank chassis.
A hallmark of the Wisent 2 is the modular and highly digitized vehicle architecture, which makes it possible to implement different roles on a common, highly protected platform. FFG currently offers four versions of the platform:
Armored Engineer Vehicle (AEV)
To support pioneering tasks. Features are an excavator arm with a 1.3 m³ bucket for an excavation volume of 300 m³ per hour and a lifting capacity of 4.5 tons, an electric welding system, interface for hydraulic tools, 40 tons main winch and a special blade.
Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV)
For salvaging and towing heavy vehicles up to the Leopard 2 class and for moving large loads (e.g. engines) in field repairs. Features are 40 ton main winch, 32 ton crane, snow blade and a battlefield recovery facility for recovery under shelter.
Mine Sweeper (Mine Breacher, MB)
For tactical mine clearance to create mine lanes. Features include a mine plow for mine lanes the width of a tank track, system for marking mine lanes created and 32 ton crane.
Bridgelayer (BL)
For laying tactical battlefield bridges (12 m) under protection with automatic laying. With a mobile upgrade kit, the armored engineer vehicle can gain this additional capability. The bridge layer was to be presented at the unusual Eurosatory.
All vehicles are equipped with a 1,100 kW engine for a top speed of 68 km/h.
Possible successor to the Dachs tank engineer
The Wisent 2 in the role of armored engineer vehicle is the candidate of the FFG in the successor program of the Bundeswehr for the armored engineer vehicle 2 Dachs, which was advertised on November 25, 2019 by the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr. Rheinmetall is also applying with the Kodiak, an armored engineer vehicle also based on the Leopard 2. After the project has been discussed in the Bundestag committees (planned for December 2020), series production for 44 armored engineer vehicles is to begin in 2025.
Gerhard Heiming
Technical specifications |
|
| Multipurpose platform WiSENT 2 | |
| maximum total weight | 69.5 tons |
| drive | 1,100 kW |
| top speed | 68 km / h |
| creep speed | 3 km / h |
| Protection | configurable, against ballistic threats and mines/IED, qualified according to STANAG 4569 |
| Bergepanzer | |
| crane | 32 tons |
| main winch | 40 tons, 172 m rope |
| auxiliary winch | 2.3 tons, 305 m of rope |
| dozer blade | Clearing capacity 400 m³/h |
| Furnishing | Battlefield recovery device with camera system (for recovery under protection) |
| Pionierpanzer | |
| Excavator arm with backhoe bucket and hydraulic interface for tools | range: 9 m, |
| blade volume | 1.3 m³ |
| dredging performance | 300 m³ / h |
| lifting capacity | 4 tons (at full load) |
| Furnishing | Special snow blade, concrete breaker, auger |
| mine clearance tank | |
| Furnishing | Full-width mine clearing plow, mine lane marking system, magnetic field generator (to trigger mines) |
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