Austria Signs for 20 Dingo 2 APCs

Released on Thursday, September 30, 2004

Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Austria's Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the supply of 20 Dingo 2 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) vehicles in Vienna, Austria.

Dingo 2 is a four-wheel drive, high on/off-road mobility, all around protected vehicle designed to provide protection to the vehicle's passengers against infantry small caliber firearms, artillery shrapnel and shell splinters, and anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The vehicle can accommodate up to 8 fully equipped infantrymen, has a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and a range around 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).

Dingo 2 is specially suitable for international peacekeeping operations such as Afghanistan and Kosovo. The vehicle can be carried in a C-130 sized aircraft or the eagerly awaited Airbus A400M. Additionally, Dingo 2 can be airlifted by the CH-47 Chinook helicopter helping to improve its mobility in the tactical level.

The UNIMOG chassis is the basis of the Dingo 2 vehicle and guarantees its excellent off-road mobility and maneuverability on bendy roads and in severe terrain. The commercial UNIMOG chassis also ensures spare and repair parts availability and low maintenance and repair costs throughout the vehicle's service life.

Dingo 2 standard equipment includes air-conditioning, parking heating system, ABS, a rear-view camera, a GPS-based navigation system, a modern radio and outboard intercom system and a overpressure NBC protection system.

The first Dingo 2 vehicle will be delivered to the Austrian forces in December this year. The remaining 19 vehicles will be delivered during 2005, totaling 20 vehicles. The Austrian decision is also meant to achieve interoperability, which is considered a vital capability in modern military missions, with allied forces such as the German Army. Currently, Germany operates or has on order 150 Dingo 1 and 55 Dingo 2 vehicles.