The readiness for the Australia Defence Force explained

In the armor project Land 121 Phase 3B, within which Rheinmetall delivers more than 2,500 highly mobile logistic vehicles to the Australian armed forces, the Commonwealth of Australia has achieved a new significant milestone. After the Talisman Sabre exercise at the end of 2019, Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds declared the Initial Operating Capability (IOC) status for this program.

In April 2016, Australia commissioned Land 121 Phase 3B as a four-year program. It included the delivery of a fleet of 2,536 vehicles in various configurations, forming the logistical backbone of the Australian armed forces. Deliveries to Australian Army facilities across Australia are expected to be completed by April 2020 as per the program schedule.

"This important milestone demonstrates the progress of the Land 121 Phase 3B program and is evidence of the close collaboration between Rheinmetall and the Commonwealth," said Gary Stewart, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia. "Together, we are delivering the most robust, reliable, versatile, and cost-effective vehicles in their class to the Army and other branches of the Australian Defence Force. This ensures the safety of Australian soldiers."

The vehicles being delivered to the Australian Army as part of the Land 121 Phase 3B program include the following variants:

• Heavy Integrated Load Handling System (HX-77)
• Heavy Dump Truck (HX-77)
• Medium Dump Truck (40-M)
• Tractor Unit (HX-81)
• Heavy Recovery Vehicle (45M)
• Medium Flatbed with Crane (40M)
• Medium Flatbed (40M)

"These vehicles combine Rheinmetall's expertise in protection and mission-specific equipment for military systems with the high-quality automotive components and driver assistance systems from MAN, as well as mission-specific high-tech components from a network of Australian industry partners," said Stewart.

Australian Industry Capability (AIC) capabilities are a crucial part of the Land 121 Phase 3B program, particularly in the integration and delivery of vehicles to the Australian Army. This commitment to AIC will be emphasized in the next phase of the program - Land 121 Phase 3B/5B. Here, Rheinmetall will deliver an additional 1,044 vehicles and 872 modules, continuously supporting the ability to meet operational requirements in collaboration with its growing network of Australian industry partners.

Worldwide, around 10,000 logistics vehicles from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles are in use, providing significant benefits in terms of interoperability and logistics to military users, especially in multinational operations. Current user countries include the UK, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, and Norway.

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