German Army selects Luchs 2 Piranha 6x6 as next reconnaissance vehicle in a $3,5B deal.

Germany has signed a €3 billion contract with General Dynamics European Land Systems for the next-generation Luchs 2 reconnaissance vehicle, based on the amphibious Piranha 6x6 platform. The deal marks a major step in Berlin’s long-term plan to rebuild and digitize its ground forces under the Zeitenwende defense initiative.

General Dynamics European Land Systems confirmed in a company statement dated October 20 that Germany has signed a roughly 3 billion euro contract for a new generation of reconnaissance vehicles for the Army Reconnaissance Corps, to be fielded as Luchs 2. The platform is based on the latest amphibious-capable Piranha 6x6 and will replace the 4x4 Fennek across reconnaissance units, with the package also covering training systems and logistics support. Reuters independently reported the award and budget magnitude on the same day, underlining the program as part of a wider German push to accelerate armored vehicle procurement.
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Luchs 2 Piranha 6x6 is an amphibious scout with modular protection, stabilized 25 mm cannon, mast-mounted EO sensors, low signature, and D-LBO networked targeting (Picture source: GDELS).

Built on the compact Piranha architecture, Luchs 2 leverages a high-mobility 6x6 drivetrain with an amphibious kit for river crossings and wet-gap operations. The Piranha family is designed for modular mission payloads, open digital architectures, and multiple protection levels, and it can be tailored with remote weapon stations or light turrets without compromising mobility or buoyancy. GDELS says the reconnaissance variant emphasizes a low acoustic and thermal signature, autonomy functions to reduce crew burden, and a fully networked sensor suite for day and night target detection and identification.

While the prime contractor has not detailed the exact weapons fit in the award notice, earlier program showings and industry discussions around the former “Korsak” project pointed to a stabilized 25 mm cannon as the baseline gun, paired with smoke dischargers and an advanced electro-optical mast for long-range observation. That approach would be consistent with the Piranha’s ability to host a spectrum of remote weapon stations and light turrets as required by mission profiles. German specialist outlet ESUT recently reported an initial production run stretching from 2029 to 2032 following two reference systems in 2028, indicating the Bundeswehr intends to scale fielding quickly once integration is validated.

The vehicle’s reconnaissance package is designed to mesh with Germany’s Digitization of Land-Based Operations program, or D-LBO, the overarching effort to modernize command and control, radios, battlefield management apps, and tactical networking across the force. Rheinmetall, among other contractors, is already executing major D-LBO integration work for thousands of vehicles through 2030, creating the digital backbone that Luchs 2 will plug into from day one. The result on board should be rapid sensor-to-shooter routing, shared reconnaissance pictures, and secure data links that compress decision timelines at troop and battalion level.

Luchs 2 delivers three immediate advantages to the reconnaissance force. First, survivability in contested reconnaissance, combining low observable signatures, higher protection margins than a light 4x4, and the ability to fight for information with a medium-caliber cannon when needed. Second, mobility across Germany’s river-laced terrain and the eastern flank, where amphibious performance and road march endurance allow deep screening and shaping tasks without engineer bridging on every crossing. Third, connectivity and automation, which translate into longer silent-watch endurance, faster target handoff to artillery and anti-armor teams, and safer standoff collection using mast sensors or distributed team sensors inside a D-LBO network.

Berlin’s defense revitalization since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has evolved into a structural modernization push, with the government signaling higher sustained spending and a goal of building the strongest conventional army in Europe within NATO. Think tanks note that the new multi-year funding plans and procurement reforms are intended to turn the Zeitenwende from a political slogan into tangible formations, equipment depth, and readiness cycles. Within that framework, reconnaissance is a pacing capability, enabling long-range fires, counter-intrusion along NATO’s northeastern frontier, and rapid brigade-level maneuver in any future crisis.

Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.

Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.