Luxembourg will order 80 Eagle V armored vehicles with French communication means SCORPION
In June 2021, the Luxembourg Ministry of Defense announces its intention to acquire 80 new armored vehicles as part of the CLRV program [pour Command, Liaison, Reconnaissance Vehicle], for which an envelope of 367 million euros was planned. It was then a question of replacing the 42 American-made Humvees as well as the 48 Dingo 2 supplied to its armed forces in 2010 by the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
“This acquisition is also part of the high value-added contributions that Luxembourg continues to provide in the context of NATO, the EU and the UN, collective defence, operations for the maintain the peace [OMP]prevention and crisis management”, he explained at the time.
In addition, in the press kit relating to this project, it was pointed out that Belgium, Luxembourg’s “privileged partner”, had just become involved in the French program SCORPION [Synergie du contact renforcée par la polyvalence et l’infovalorisation], which was to have consequences on the purchase of new armored vehicles. Or so we thought.
Indeed, more than a year later, Luxembourg announced that its choice would be the Eagle V armored vehicle, proposed by General Dynamics European Land Systems – Mowag. But unlike those used by the German, Swiss and Danish forces, they will be equipped with the SCORPION Combat Information System [SICS] supplied by Atos as well as the CONTACT software radio and the “BARAGE” anti-improvised explosive device jammer produced by Thales. And this in order to guarantee the Luxembourg army to be interoperable with its Belgian and French counterparts. In addition, it will also be provided with a DeFNder Medium teleoperated firing station, provided by FN Herstal.
“Three points were essential in this project. Mainly, and this is most important to me, that our troops are protected as best as possible when they are deployed on a mission. Secondly, to modernize the equipment and thus increase our operational capabilities and thirdly, to guarantee interoperability within the army and with our allied countries”, justified François Bausch, the Luxembourg Minister of Defence.
Note that this acquisition will be made via the NATO Support and Supply Agency [NSPA], tasked by Luxembourg with “finding the most efficient and effective solution to meet the requirements” that he had transmitted. It will also have to provide “logistical and technical support throughout the life cycle of the new CLRVs”.