The Belgian company John Cockerill Defense, based in Liège, will refit versatile armoured vehicles into medical units for use by the Ukrainian military, L’Echo reports.
The company has been awarded a significant contract to provide “several dozen” modified Bandvagn 206 (BV-206) vehicles, which will be reconditioned, modernised, and reconfigured at the group’s Aubange site to serve as medical evacuation vehicles.
The BV-206, a tracked, all-terrain, articulated troop transport vehicle, is of Swedish origin and was developed by Hägglunds, now part of the British group BAE Systems. With its two-module design, the versatile BV-206 is specifically suited for use in snow and mountainous regions.
According to John Cockerill Defense, “The BV-206 appealed to Ukrainians and Belgians because it is a vehicle already used in Ukraine and known for its exceptional mobility in complex and rugged terrain. This makes it perfectly suited to the mission of evacuating the wounded.”
Belgium's Department of Defence and John Cockerill have not disclosed where the vehicles were used before. The contract is part of the last three military aid packages to Ukraine, worth €412 million, approved by the Federal Government on 15 March.
🇧🇪🇺🇦 - Soutien à l'Ukraine 📍John Cockerill Defense a obtenu le contrat prévoyant l'achat et la modernisation de plusieurs dizaines de "véhicules de type BV-206", afin de les transformer en ambulances blindées, avant de les livrer à l'Ukraine.https://t.co/LsE4JPyhMK
— Nicolas Vanden Bossche (@Nico_VDBossche) April 10, 2024
