KOBLENZ (dpa-AFX) - The German armed forces will receive up to 6500 military trucks from the Rheinmetall armaments group in the coming years. 250 of the so-called unprotected transport vehicles will be available to the Bundeswehr from November, the procurement office in Koblenz announced. A firm order has been placed for 610 vehicles for around 312 million euros, which will be financed from special funds and the regular defense budget. The order volume totals up to 3.5 billion euros, the DAX-listed company said on Monday. Rheinmetall shares were up around one and a half percent in the afternoon.

The framework agreement between the procurement office and Rheinmetall provides for the Bundeswehr to be able to order additional vehicles flexibly as required. According to the procurement office, the trucks are intended to ensure logistical supplies at home and during exercises. For example, they could accommodate a remote-controlled weapon station or protective equipment./wem/DP/mis