The first Piranha 5 and Eagle 5 armored wheeled vehicles have been delivered to the Royal Danish Army, General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) announced on 25th March.

GDELS Eagle 5 delivered to the Danish army (Picture source: GDELS)

The Danish army received the first in a new generation of wheeled armored vehicles at a March 27 ceremony attended by Denmark’s minister of Defence, chief of Defence, chief of the Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO), and chief of the Army. After vehicles have already been delivered to DALO in 2018, the event marks the transition of the vehicles into operational use.

Piranha 5 and Eagle 5 are part of a family of vehicles used in different configurations by more than 20 nations, including the U.S., Canada, and Spain. The Piranha 5 and Eagle 5 vehicles are the latest in a lineage of vehicles from GDELS-Mowag that have served in international operations for decades.

GDELS signed a contract with DALO at the end of 2015 to deliver 309 Piranha 8x8 Armored Personnel Carriers in six variants: infantry, command, ambulance, engineer, mortar, and repair. Two years later, DALO awarded GDELS a framework supply contract for the delivery of multiple variants of the new Eagle 4x4 vehicle. The first batch of 36 vehicles was in the Armored Patrol Vehicle configuration. Both contracts are complemented by multi-year framework agreement for general postproduction support and services.

Denmark and GDELS have collaborated for many years. Over the last two decades, GDELS has delivered Piranha, Duro, and Eagle vehicles to the DALO. GDELS partners with Danish industry through an industrial cooperation strategy. In less than a decade, GDELS has generated more than DKK 3 billion (US$450 million) in new business for Danish companies Hydrema, Tencate, Nissens, Mikkelsen and others.

GDELS Piranha 5 delivered to the Danish army (Picture source: GDELS)