Machinery giant Liebherr is to deliver more than 70 armoured mobile and rescue cranes to the German Army in a deal worth around $200 million.
The order from the German Army comprises of 33 armoured G-BFK recovery cranes and 38 G-LTM 1090-4.2 mobile cranes, with deliveries expected to commence in the second half of 2018 and to be completed by 2021.
To meet the high requirements of the German military, Liebherr worked with Rheinmetall, the leading European supplier of military equipment to create the cranes’ armoured cabins.
Protecting passengers is the primary focus of the order, says Liebherr, with the G-LTM and G-BKF’s identical superstructure cabins capable of protecting crew members from ballistic, mine and IED threats. They also feature an NBC ventilation system.
G-BKF recovery crane
The G-BKF is an armoured recovery crane mounted on a four-axle mobile chassis, designed for passenger protection and the recovery and towing of vehicles. Its excellent off-road ability, mixed with its armoured cab, is what makes the G-BKF a desired tool for the German Army.
Liebherr says the G-BKF can be used flexibly and economically thanks to its ability to hoist loads and recover vehicles.
Its 20.9m telescopic boom can precisely handle loads up to 20 tonnes in weight, while the rear towing device and two recovery winches can recover and tow a wide range of vehicles.
G-LTM 1090-4.2 armoured mobile crane
Derived from the standard LTM, the G-LTM 1090-4.2 is a four-axle mobile crane with an armoured driver and crane cabin.
The German Army ordered two G-LTM variants, 17 with 8.4 tonnes of counterweight and 21 units with 22.5 tonnes of counterweight (very heavy duty mobile). They both feature a 35.7m telescopic boom and rear recovery winch.
Liebherr has manufactured more than 800 military cranes with lifting capacities from 10 to 500 tonnes since 1977. The Liebherr product range includes standard cranes and specially developed vehicles for military purposes.