Western companies to provide Ukraine with Wisent 1 MC to break minefields

The German and British companies will provide Ukraine with Wisent 1 MC for breaking minefields.

Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) and Pearson Engineering announced that they had received a contract for the supply of special equipment to Ukraine.

The equipment will consist of FFG’s Wisent 1 armored recovery vehicle equipped with a full-width mine clearing system from Pearson Engineering.

Armored recovery vehicles and mine ploughs were ordered by the German government for Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have an urgent need for funds to break through minefields.

Delivery is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. None of the companies have provided the number of mine ploughs or equipment.

Nevertheless, on the website of the German government, in the list of future assistance to Ukraine, 42 “demining tanks” are mentioned.

The Wisent 1 is a modernization of the Armored Recovery Vehicle 2000 or ARV 2000. Essentially based on the modified Leopard 1 main battle tank hull with the turret removed, it can accommodate different systems depending on the mission.

Demining is one of the most difficult tasks in field conditions. To enable armies around the world to carry out this task quickly, safely and securely, the FFG developed the Wisent 1 MC demining system.

Furthermore, the Wisent 1 MC is outfitted with a lane marking system that lets succeeding units pass through cleared lanes securely.

The NATO standard STANAG 4569 Level 5 ballistic protection and Level 3 mine protection ensure the maximum possible safety of the crew.

Ukraine will join Denmark as the second known operator of the Wisent 1 platform, although a similar machine based on the modified Leopard 2 case, known as the Wisent 2, was also purchased by Canada, Hungary, Norway, Qatar and the UAE.