Hensoldt to add BAA III reconnaissance upgrade to 80 Bundeswehr Fennek vehicles

A Joint Fire Support Team Fennek with BAA II. Fifty of these vehicles will now be equipped with Hensoldt's new BAA III. (KNDS)

German sensor company Hensoldt has been awarded a sensor technology upgrade contract for 80 Fennek vehicles by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).

Hensoldt said that under the contract 30 Fennek scout vehicles will be upgraded from the now obsolete BAA (Beobachtungs und Aufklärungsausstattung, Observation and Reconnaissance Equipment) I to BAA III. Fifty Fennek Joint Fire Support Team (JFST) vehicles will be upgraded from BAA II to BAA III. Ten additional BAA III sets will serve as a recirculating reserve during the upgrade and will subsequently be available as spare parts.

The contract is valued in the mid double-digit million euro range, Hensoldt said in a press release on 12 November. Another two BAA III sets will be delivered to KNDS Deutschland for integration and verification management. The order itself comprises 92 BAA III sets.

The integration work is scheduled to be completed in a short time frame to ensure that the Fennek is operationally ready for use by the Bundeswehr. Hensolt said the deliveries will begin as early as the first quarter (Q1) of 2026. The modernisation is part of a comprehensive programme that is being implemented in co-operation with the BAAINBw. As a technology partner, Helsoldt is responsible for the delivery and integration of the new sensor packages.