Rheinmetall Defence has handed over the first “Kodiak” AEV 3 S armoured engineering vehicle to the Swedish armed forces procurement agency (FMV, Försvarets Materiel Verk).

Known in Rheinmetall parlance as “Kodiak”, the AEV 3 S is a heavy-duty combat engineering system that falls into the military weight category MLC 70. Its mine-protected MBT (main battle tank) Leopard 2 chassis and 1,100 kW diesel engine ensure outstanding mobility and a high level of protection.

It is equipped with a powerful hinged-arm excavator with different excavator tools, a dozer system featuring cutting and tilt angle settings and a double-winch system consisting of two 9-tonne capstan winches. The vehicle is equipped with a remote control weapon station and a smoke grenade launcher system. Six cameras provide the two or three-man crew with a panoramic view of the vehicle’s surroundings, enabling them to switch tools and carry out a full range of combat engineering tasks.