The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag has approved the acquisition of a range of equipment for the Special Forces.
The package involves the purchase of new air-transportable light combat vehicles, medium-range operational boats, and high-frequency radios, according to Defence Blog.
Both the Budget Committee and the Defense Committee endorsed the programs, allowing the Ministry of Defense to proceed with contracts valued at hundreds of millions of euros.
The package includes the purchase of a new family of air-transportable light 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 agreement with FTS Flensburg Technology Systems GmbH (FTS), a joint venture between FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI/ELTA), for the production and delivery of up to 150 combat vehicles and 50 support vehicles based on IAI’s Z family, particularly the ZD variant.
The package also authorizes the acquisition of up to 26 medium-sized operational vessels, with nine units already ordered and seventeen optional, valued at approximately €100 million, including related services and equipment. Deliveries are scheduled between 2027 and 2030.
The new vessels will replace the older RHIB 1010 used by the Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM), which will reach the end of their service life in 2026, and will be supplied by Yachtwerft Meyer GmbH of Bremen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the French specialist company Zodiac MilPro.
To meet KSM needs until the new boats are delivered, 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, according to the German website hartpunkt.
Meanwhile, the committee also approved the purchase of 275 AN/PRC-160 HF radios from the American defense company L3Harris under a government agreement with the United States. The radios will enhance Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) tactical communications for Special Forces without relying on satellite infrastructure.
The aim of the acquisitions is to strengthen the mobility, communication, and maritime capability of Germany’s elite units, according to hartpunkt.
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