Rheinmetall wins 2.7-billion-eur order for heavy weapons carriers from Germany

DUESSELDORF (Reuters) - Germany's armed forces have commissioned Rheinmetall to supply it with up to 123 infantry heavy weapon carriers in an order worth around 2.7 billion euros ($2.94 billion), the arms maker said on Thursday.

Delivery of the "Schwerer Waffentraeger Infanterie" is due to start in 2025 and the order includes service and maintenance, said Rheinmetall in a statement.

The vehicles will replace the Wiesel tracked vehicle for direct tactical fire support for infantry units and are part of the Bundeswehr's new "medium force" category that can rapidly deploy over long distances, said the company.

The vehicles will use production capacity in Redbank, in Australia.

Rheinmetall has gained from a boom in defence spending by Germany and NATO allies since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

Germany, Kyiv's biggest military backer in Europe, announced a new defence policy as a result of the war, creating a 100-billion-euro defence fund to modernise its armed forces.

($1 = 0.9187 euros)

(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Miranda Murray)