L-R: Stacy Cummings, Director General of NSPA; François Bausch, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; General Steve Thull; Credit: Chronicle.lu

On Thursday 15 September 2022, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in Capellen was the venue for the formal signing of an agreement for a €367 million refit of the vehicle fleet of the Luxembourg Army.

The project will acquire a total of 80 command, liaison and reconnaissance vehicles (CLRV) for the Luxembourg Army which will modernise the current fleet of "Hummer" and "PRV" (Protected Reconnaissance Vehicle) vehicles which have become obsolete. The acquisition of these new vehicles will be carried out with the support of the NSPA.

According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Defence, the new vehicles will increase personnel protection while ensuring interoperability with allied nations.

The €367 million budget for the project was authorised by the law of 17 December 2021 and will be delivered over a four-year period.

Following the signing of the agreement, a press conference was held to present details of the acquisition and logistic support project as well as the characteristics of the vehicles and the selected offer.

Stacy Cummings, Director General of NSPA, talked in English and mentioned the significant milestone for the Luxembourg armed forces; this project is now a reality. She explained that this solution will provide Luxembourg with a modern fleet and thanked Luxembourg for the long-standing collaboration.

François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, talked in English and Luxembourgish and talked about the NSPA being a significant player in the Grand Duchy. He acknowledged that, thanks to the NSPA, there was a good tender and the results will be seen soon with a new fleet of vehicles for the Luxembourg Army. He confirmed the final amount of €226.6 million according to the successful tender received and awarded.

General Steve Thull, Army Chief of Staff, made a presentation in Luxembourgish (slides in French) about the technical specifications and capabilities of the new vehicles. He explained that the current fleet is becoming obsolete: the PRVs date from 2010 and the Hummers from 2007, and they will be replaced by EAGLE Vs (from GDELS - General Dynamics European Land Systems) equipped by DeFNder Medium guns (12.7mm, from FN HERSTAL) and THALES communication systems. They are powered by diesel engines; interestingly, they were chosen due to their interoperability with French and Belgian army fleets. For delivery, ten vehicles will be delivered within 28 months, 30 after 36 months and 40 after 48 months of contract signature (80 vehicles in total).

In response to a specific question, Minister Bausch confirmed that the difference between the budget total and the cost of the contracted tender is foreseen for adaptations to the vehicles after delivery; and General Thull also confirmed that the budget allows for maintenance over a fifteen-year period.