A year after KNDS’s acquisition of the former Alstom railway works in Görlitz, CEO Florian Hohenwarter unveiled the 40th interior cabin for the Protected Transport Vehicle (GTF) 3 of the Bundeswehr in the presence of the Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, the Lord Mayor of Görlitz, Octavian Ursu, and other guests from federal and local politics. The interiors of the cabin for the GTF 3 are manufactured and equipped, among other places, in Görlitz. They will then be sent to the KNDS site in Munich for painting.
“It was a particular priority for us to inform Mr. Minister-President Kretschmer, as a supporter of the project, about the progress of the site’s transformation. We have already transformed more than half of the 70,000 square meters of factory space and will employ 400 people by the end of the year,” said Hohenwarter. “In addition to the GTF 3, we are already producing hulls and turret housings for the Leopard 2 main battle tank in Görlitz today, as well as modules for different variants of the Boxer wheeled armored vehicle. The production of turret housings for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and hulls for the Boxer is in preparation.”
Görlitz Enables Faster Deliveries Through KNDS
The 3rd generation Protected Transport Vehicle is based on the Iveco Trakker 8×8 with a protected crew cab. In 2021, the Bundeswehr awarded Iveco Defence Vehicles a contract for up to 1,048 vehicles in five versions to be delivered by 2028. They are capable of transporting 20-foot ISO containers and are partly equipped with hydraulic cranes and winch systems. All vehicles, according to Iveco, meet the latest Euro VI emissions standard, are suitable for single-fuel operation, and feature a high-level protected crew cab. The protection covers ballistic threats as well as effects from mines and also includes IED and NBC protection.
Just over a year ago, on February 5, 2025, KNDS signed a framework agreement to acquire the Görlitz site from the company Alstom. According to KNDS, it has rapidly developed into an important pillar for the upcoming ramp-up of production, thanks to the highly specialized workforce and favorable conditions. With Görlitz, KNDS was able to expand its manufacturing capacity by adding a production facility that enables the company to deliver vehicle systems to the Bundeswehr and its partners faster and more comprehensively than before.
