A NATO procurement agency has picked French systems company Thales as prime contractor to install a tactical reconnaissance package on Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s Dingo 2 four-wheeled vehicle for the Luxembourg Army.

Under the contract, Thales will deliver 48 vehicles equipped with equipment providing self- protection, long-range observation and an open architecture HF/VHF communications system by the end of 2010, Thales said in a March 10 statement.

The selection of Thales as prime contractor points to the growing importance of electronic systems in new-generation vehicles, Millar Crawford, Thales land systems vice president, said in the statement.

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s management board chairman, Frank Haun, said in a March 12 statement the choice of the Dingo 2 reflects the need for extremely well-protected vehicles when NATO forces deploy to crisis regions.

The Luxembourg Army operates in Afghanistan under the NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The reconnaissance capability is designed to be interoperable with allied forces and aims to meet requirements for mobility, protection and observation. The observation system includes a telescopic mast and all-weather optronic sensors.

The NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) selected Thales in a tender under a mandate from Luxembourg to equip two reconnaissance companies.