General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag (GDELS-Mowag) announced on 5 December that it has signed a contract with the Swiss army on 18 November for the delivery of 100 protected Eagle V 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles.

The company says that the Eagle 6x6 was selected after an international competition conducted by the Swiss federal office for defence procurement. This first order of the Eagle 6x6 is a milestone for the latest development of the  vehicle family.

The 100 Eagle V 6x6 vehicles will be the vehicle platform for the country’s new tactical reconnaissance system TASYS. It will be used to gather intelligence for the Swiss Armed Forces including support of civil authorities. It consists of an Eagle V 6x6 carrier vehicle, a multi-sensor system mounted on a telescopic mast, and a data processing system. For self-protection, the highly-mobile Eagle V 6x6 TASYS is armoured and equipped with a remotely controlled weapon station.

The vehicle offers sufficient payload reserves to allow for future improvements, such as the integration of additional sensors. The Eagle V 6x6 TASYS starts production in 2020 and will be fielded between 2023 and 2025.

Besides the Swiss Army the Eagle V 4x4 is also extensively used by both Denmark and Germany. The further development of the Eagle V 4x4 into the Eagle V 6x6 was inspired by operational experience according to the company. The need was identified for a vehicle with increased useful volume, more payload, very compact exterior dimensions, as well as constant high mobility and maximised protection.

‘We are very proud that the Swiss Army is the first customer to introduce the Eagle V 6x6,’ said Oliver Dürr, vice president wheeled vehicles and managing director of GDELS-Mowag.