Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik

Namibian defense contractor

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Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik (WMF) is a Namibian defense contractor located in Windhoek, Namibia. It is operated as a subsidiary of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF). WMF designs and manufactures monocoque V-hull armoured combat vehicles. WMF is responsible for the armoured bodywork fabrication while engines, transmissions and axles are built by MAN.

History

Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik was founded in 1939. It later provided equipment for the South African Defence Force and South West African Territorial Force. In 1977, WMF began manufacturing Mine Protected Vehicles.^[1] In 1998, WMF was nationalised by the Government of Namibia.^[2] The company functions as a subsidiary of Namibian Defence Force. Retired Major General Ben Kadhila is the current Managing Director of WMF.^[3]

WMF Products

WMF performs the following services:

armouring of plant and construction machinery
Refurbishing of other armoured vehicles such as the Casspir.

WMF produces the following 4x4 Mine protected vehicles (MPVs)

Wolf I,
Wolf II,
Wolf Turbo II - at 14 tons,
WerWolf Mk I - at 10 tons.
Wer’wolf MKII at 17 tons.
MK III

WMF also produces the following 6x6 Mine protected vehicles (MPVs)

Wolf 6x6 recovery vehicle
WerWolf Mk II 6X6 recovery vehicle

Humanitarian Engineering and Consulting (HEC), the R&D branch for MgM, has designed a special series of WerWolf called the HEC-Wolf, which specifically supports the requirements of Humanitarian Demining operations. The HEC-Wolf is somewhat de-militarized in that it cannot carry the wide range of weapons which normally are associated with this vehicle.^[4]

Users

WMF’s clients are the following:

Namibian Defence Force
Angolan Armed Forces
Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force
NamPower
United Nations agencies
Humanitarian agencies such as:
- Red Cross
- Doctors Without Borders
- Stiftung Menschen gegen Minen e. V. better known as MgM
Selected filmmakers and television crews

Location

Physical address

13 Bessemer Street,

Southern Industrial Area

Windhoek, Namibia

Postal Address:

P.O. Box 5013

Windhoek, Namibia

References

^ Administrator. "Company Background". www.wmf.com.na. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
^ Administrator. "Company Background". www.wmf.com.na. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
^ "TURNAROUND STRATEGY 2020 - 2025" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-08.
^ "HEC - Research • Engineering • Integration". www.hectec.cc. Retrieved 2017-09-08.