Belgian firm John Cockerill Defense to supply BV-206 Ambulance all-terrain vehicles to Ukraine.

On April 9, 2024, the media L'Echo reported that the Belgian company John Cockerill Defense had won a contract to supply "several dozen" transformed Bandvagn 206 (BV-206) vehicles. These vehicles will be refurbished, modernized, and reconfigured at the Aubange site of the Belgian group to be converted into medical evacuation vehicles and delivered to Ukraine.
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Bandvagn 206 (BV-206) articulated all-terrain vehicles in ambulance configuration. (Picture source: PrimePortal)

John Cockerill Defense, a company based in Belgium, will thus transform these small versatile armored vehicles into medicalized vehicles to be subsequently transferred to the Ukrainian army. This contract is part of the last three military aid packages to Ukraine, totaling 412 million euros, approved by the federal government on March 15. This initiative is part of a cooperation between the Belgian, Dutch, and Luxembourg governments to provide military assistance to Ukraine.

As a reminder, in 2023, the same company completed the initial upgrade of ten M113 armored personnel carriers, marking the first batch ready for shipment among the 40 armored vehicles planned for Ukraine. This initiative was funded by the Benelux countries, consisting of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. In July 2023, these nations jointly announced their financial collaboration to refurbish M113 APCs decommissioned by a European Army and offer them to Ukraine. These vehicles are now equipped with an FN weapon station intended to be armed with a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun coming from Belgian army stocks.

The BV-206 is a tracked, all-terrain, articulated troop transport vehicle, initially developed by Hägglunds, now a subsidiary of BAE Systems. It consists of two modules and is known for its ability to operate in difficult conditions such as snow and mountains. Ukrainians and Belgians have focused on this vehicle due to its great mobility in rugged terrain, making it an ideal choice for casualty evacuation missions. In October 2023, Germany had already delivered 73 units of the same vehicle to Ukraine.

The BV-206 measures 6.36 meters long, 2.3 meters wide, and 2.43 meters high. It can carry up to 10 people or 1.37 tons of payload, with a total mass of 7.3 tons. Powered by a 6-cylinder diesel engine providing 177 horsepower, the BV-206 can reach a maximum speed of 52 km/h on roads and 4 km/h in water. Its impressive range is 330 kilometers.

During its development, more than 11,000 units of the BV-206 have been produced, and it is currently used in more than 37 countries worldwide for a variety of military and civilian missions.

Bandvagn 206 (BV-206) articulated all-terrain vehicles (Picture source: US DoD)