Rheinmetall Group Wins Order for Gladius Soldier Equipment from German Army

The German Bundeswehr has placed an order with the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group to supply it with state-of-the-art infantry equipment. A contract to this effect has now been signed at the Federal Agency for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) in Koblenz. Under the initial order, a total of 900 soldiers (90 infantry sections or squads) will be outfitted with the new equipment. Specially developed by Rheinmetall on behalf of the Bundeswehr, it is the most advanced system of its kind anywhere. Units due to deploy to Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014 will be the first to be equipped with Gladius. This forward-looking system is an important step in the process of providing German infantry troops with significantly improved capabilities in current and future deployments. Back in 2009, Rheinmetall was awarded a contract to develop a pre-series demonstrator version of the Gladius system for the Bundeswehr. It supplemented the basic Future Soldier (IdZ) system which Germany ordered in 2005 as an interim response to an urgent operational requirement. Now ready for fielding, Gladius is intended to expand and improve the capabilities of the existing system, particularly with regard to networking, command and control, and combat effectiveness. Responding to heightened requirements on the part of the Bundeswehr and building on the results of extensive trials and operational experience, Gladius is a far-reaching, highly advanced new development.