German Army to receive additional batch of Future Soldier C2 systems

The German Army will receive additional IdZ-ES VJTF 2023 solider systems . The variant is based on Rheinmetall's modular Gladius 2.0, showing (l) the CeoTronics CT-MultiPTT 3C central operation and control unit and chest-mounted tablet and (II) the single central hub. This configuration has two radios, suited for a platoon commander. (Giles Ebbutt)

Rheinmetall is to expand delivering its latest dismounted Future Soldier command-and-control (C2) system to the German Army.

As per a company announcement on 26 January, the German Bundeswehr has contracted Rheinmetall to deliver its ‘Infantryman of the Future – Extended System' (Infanterist der Zukunft: IdZ-ES) to soldiers.

Fourteen ‘IdZ-ES' “platoon systems”, comprising 476 systems in total will be delivered to individual soldiers, the announcement said.

Valued in the mid-double-digit million euro range, the contract was placed in December 2022 after Germany's Bundestag approved a EUR100 billion (USD108 billion) defence fund, the announcement added.

Rheinmetall has delivered several batches of IdZ soldier systems to the Bundeswehr over the years, following orders placed in 2004, 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2021 (not an exhaustive list). In 2012, the company received its first order to deliver the IdZ-ES to the German Army. Previous versions were known as IdZ. The IdZ and IdZ-ES systems have undergone several upgrades over their lifetime.

The latest IdZ-ES variant was developed to support Germany's contribution to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2023, which Berlin is leading this year. It is the fourth version of IdZ and is based on a new version of the Gladius soldier system, known as Gladius 2.0. Gladius is a C2 solution that is mostly contained in a single backpack.

A Rheinmetall spokesperson confirmed to Janes