Germany Close to Selling Dingo Vehicles to Saudi Arabia

The German government is close to completing a 100 million-euro arms deal with Saudi Arabia to sell 30 armored vehicles, a report said.

Berlin's National Security Council has already signaled its backing, the report added. Quoting sources, Bild am Sonntag newspaper said Saudi Arabia wants to buy a total of 100 of the “Dingo” armored vehicles over the longer term.

The armored vehicles are manufactured by Krauss Maffei-Wegmann and Bruker Daltonik from Leipzig, Bild said.

The National Security Council, which includes Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Ministers of Defense, Development, Economy and Foreign Affairs, still must give the final approval once the deal is completed, Bild am Sonntag said.

The government never comments on decisions by the Council, which meets under strict secrecy.

Earlier this month, Der Spiegel magazine reported Saudi Arabia wanted to buy several hundred BOXER armored fighting vehicles, another type of armored vehicle made by Artec, a joint-venture of Rheinmettal Defense and Kraus-Maffei Wegmann.

The magazine suggested the vehicles could be used in confronting possible demonstrations. 

According to other unconfirmed media reports, Germany gave pre-approval for the export of 270 Leopard 2 tanks to Saudi Arabia in 2011.

Source: Reuters; Bild am Sonntag; Der Spiegel