Swiss reconnaissance vehicle spotted in Ukraine – where did the “Eagle” come from?

A reconnaissance vehicle from the (formerly Swiss) company GDELS-MOWAG can be seen in an Instagram post on the official channel of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The caption: “Avdiivka and Kramatorsk, March 18, 2023.” The Swiss Army also uses the “Eagle” type vehicle. How did it get to Ukraine?

What is an Eagle?

The EAGLE is an armored reconnaissance and rescue vehicle. There are now six variants (I,II,III,IV 4×4, IV 6×6, V 4×4). The Swiss Army had acquired 145 units of the Eagle I in 1993, followed by 175 Eagle II four years later. In 2000, 120 Eagle III were ordered, but not for reconnaissance, but converted for artillery commanders.

In addition, the Swiss Army has five Eagle IVs in special equipment, which are used as part of the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. In 2019, the army ordered 100 pieces of the latest model (Eagle V), on which the new TASYS reconnaissance system is installed. The introduction is planned for the end of 2025 at the latest.

In the Swiss army, the Eagles are mainly used for mechanized reconnaissance. The periscope and the thermal imager allow the crew to observe from a great distance. The scout eagles are additionally armed with smoke throwers and a 7.6mm machine gun. The MG is missing from the Shooting Commander version, but a better observation device has been installed.

Who makes the eagle?

The vehicle was traditionally produced by the Swiss MOWAG (Motorwagen AG) in Kreuzlingen TG. In 1999 MOWAG was sold to General Motors Canada and in 2003 it passed to GDELS (General Dynamic European Land Systems), the European branch of the American General Defense. Since then MOWAG is called GDELS-MOWAG. Eagles still come off the assembly line in Kreuzlingen, but not only in Kreuzlingen.

The newer models are partly produced directly on site in the buyer’s country. For example, the Eagle IV of the German Armed Forces is manufactured at the GDELS-Germany plant in Kaiserslautern. Because the Eagle is still a Swiss product despite American owners,

Which version is shown in the photo?

It is not clear which model is pictured, but it appears to be a Type I, II or III Eagle. These hardly differ from each other on the outside, the differences lie in the substructure, the protection against NBC threats (nuclear, biological, chemical) or the glass used. The new models (IV or V) are significantly larger and are not based on a Hummer chassis, but on that of the Swiss “Duros”.

In the photo it looks like the tower has been removed. So the vehicle can be unarmoured.

Who sent this eagle to Ukraine?

That cannot be said in conclusion, because it is not entirely clear which model is involved. But the choice is limited: only the Danish army bought (together with Switzerland) the Eagle I, the models II and III are only used by Switzerland.

However, this does not necessarily mean that the vehicle in the photo is a Danish model. The Danish Ministry of Defense has not yet responded to a request from Watson.

A look at the window confirms the suspicion of a Danish eagle: the window of the back door is smaller in the Ukrainian photo than that of the front door – analogous to certain statements by the Danes.

Has Denmark now broken Swiss law?

If If it is actually an eagle from Denmark, it does not necessarily mean that the War Material Act has been violated. It depends on what was contractually agreed upon at the time of purchase, says Fabian Maienfisch, Deputy Head of Communications at SECO.

There are cases where a transfer is allowed – for example, in the case of museum vehicles that are “demilitarized”. Maienfisch cannot yet say whether this is a special case: “SECO takes this report very seriously. We will make all necessary clarifications and assess the situation as soon as possible. We cannot comment further at this time.”

What does the manufacturer say about this?

GDELS emphasizes that all legal export and export guidelines of their home country and their customers are observed and adhered to. When asked by Watson, Marc-Aurel Bischoff, Senior Director of Corporate Communications, wrote: “We have no reliable information about the facts you have presented. Please understand that we generally do not participate in speculation.”