General Dynamics Corporation (GD).
Its initial success was the development and production of more than 1600 troop carriers "Mowag T1 4x4" for the Swiss Army. Contracts for Germany followed, with 750 Mowag MR 8 series armoured wheeled vehicles produced for the German Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guard) (also later used by Spain), and built under licence in Germany.
Since October 2003, MOWAG is a company within the General Dynamics European Land Systems group and at present employs around 750 highly-skilled personnel at the facility in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. MOWAG continues to operate as a Swiss company, and is organised and incorporated under Swiss law. General Dynamics European Land Systems is part of General Dynamics Corporation (GD).
Since the Piranha 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 family of armoured wheeled vehicles was conceived in the seventies, over 6,500 vehicles have been produced and are today in operation. A further 1,700 Piranha vehicles are now selected, on order and under production in Canada, the USA and Switzerland. The baseline vehicle, the new generation of the Piranha III, enables numerous applications and/or weapon system installations as expected of a modern multi-role vehicle, which is well suited to any battlefield or peace-keeping/peace-enforcing mission anywhere in the world. The Piranha IV 8x8 offers again higher payloads, modular ballistic protection, superior mine protection, and provides increased mobility with its height-adjustable hydro-pneumatic suspension system. The US Stryker vehicle is a modified Piranha design as is the Canadian LAV III.
The MOWAG Eagle is a Swiss armoured version of the American HMMWV. A total of 365 Eagle 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles and 120 Eagle 4x4 artillery forward observation vehicles have been built in the past eight years and are in service with the Swiss and Danish Forces.
The newly developed Eagle IV, based on the DURO, is suitable for reconnaissance, communications and observation vehicle as well as for UN missions and border patrol. The MOWAG development on the basis of the proven DURO chassis is distinguished through a very high payload versus a low GVW, with a high ballistic and mine protection level as well as exceptional mobility both on and off-road. Due to the communality with the DURO family of vehicles, the maintenance and training costs can be kept low in a fleet mission.
DURO stands for DUrable and RObust. Initially developed for Switzerland by Bucher-Guyer AG in Niederweningen, Switzerland, who started production of all-wheel-drive trucks in 1976.
