Bundeswehr orders further mobile rescue stations from Rheinmetall – order worth over € 500 million

Rheinmetall will supply further mobile rescue stations to the Bundeswehr. As an extension of a previous order, the armed forces are set to receive a total of 149 additional protected and unprotected systems, with a gross value of over €500 million. This call-off under a framework contract awarded at the end of 2024 is the largest order to date that the contractor, Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH, has ever received. Production of the rescue stations is due to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

With the order booked in July 2026, the total number of rescue stations rises to 165 systems, with a gross value of over € 600 million. In December 2024, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) had commissioned Rheinmetall to supply up to 137 rescue stations to the Bundeswehr. At that time, ten ballistically protected and six unprotected systems were ordered.

Call-offs for further armoured and unarmoured systems are included as an option in the contract. Training for the relevant personnel will also be provided.

The rescue stations are part of the Modular Medical Facilities system. Within the Bundeswehr's medical service, these highly mobile rescue stations ensure that the troops receive initial emergency medical care. If required, four soldiers can set up and dismantle the systems within a very short time. This incorporates a lesson learnt from the war in the Ukraine, namely that highly mobile systems are necessary for medical support.

Each rescue station comprises two containers that can be operated together or separately. Each container is fitted with a generator and air conditioning, and can operate independently for several days. Should one generator fail, the entire system can continue to operate using the generator from a single container.

The system features a fully equipped emergency treatment station, as well as four additional treatment stations. All the medical equipment is mounted on Airliner rails and can be configured according to the user's requirements.

The system can be transported using different carrier vehicles used by the Bundeswehr. It can be set up at a longitudinal and transverse inclination. A custom lifting system was developed for this purpose, as no off-the-shelf system could meet the specified requirements.

The Bundeswehr is procuring both protected and unprotected versions of the system. This involves the refurbishment of an existing system. However, the new rescue station replaces a complex tent structure with a highly modular 3:1 container manufactured by Rheinmetall Mobile Systeme GmbH. The new system can be transported and set up in more challenging terrain.