New logistics trucks for the German Armed Forces

With the handover of 20 brand new military trucks, a new chapter in the equipment of the Bundeswehr in the area of ​​logistics vehicles has now been opened in Munich. The fleet of the Bundeswehr will now be gradually supplemented with a total of up to 2271 new trucks from Rheinmetall, taking over from the proven but aging so-called KAT I mil gl vehicles.

A solemn symbolic key handover took place in Munich at the MAN Forum by invitation of Rheinmetall, with representatives from the client (Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, BAAINBw) and the Bundeswehr users. The joint venture company Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV), Munich, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of military wheeled vehicles.

For the client, Rainer Krug, Head of Land Support at BAAINBw, accepted the symbolic vehicle keys and immediately handed them over to the Bundeswehr as the user, represented by Major General Stefan Linus Fix from the Joint Support Service Command and Colonel Ralf Albert Nau from the Army Command.

Trucks worth 900 million euros

In the summer of 2017, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles was awarded a contract by BAAINBw to deliver trucks from the HX2 family worth around 900 million euros to the Bundeswehr. In a first step, a batch of 558 trucks, including special tools and training services, was placed under contract.

"UTF (Unprotected Transport Vehicles) mil gl in payload classes 5t and 15t" is the project name of the procurement measure in the Bundeswehr and BAAINBw. While the versatile and high-performance 6x6 and 8x8 trucks currently do not have armored driver's cabs, all measures have been taken on the chassis side to allow the cabs to be replaced with highly protected armored driver cabins - also from Rheinmetall - at a later date. The "Unprotected Transport Vehicles" can thus be converted into the highest level of protected vehicles at any time, despite the additional weight load, they remain highly mobile and flexible for use and provide their crew with high security during operations.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger welcomed the Bundeswehr's entry into the HX2 user group at the handover. In previous years, among others, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, as well as Norway and Sweden had decided to procure similar vehicles.

Armin Papperger: "We are very pleased that the Bundeswehr is now part of this large family. In a joint User Nations Group, we work closely with the armed forces of these nations to continuously improve the vehicles, benefit from mutual experiences, and build a new common logistics system - to the advantage of all."

Best possible equipment

Armin Papperger continued: "At Rheinmetall, we see it as our obligation to equip our soldiers with the best possible equipment they need to fulfill their demanding tasks. Therefore, the 'Unprotected Transport Vehicles' project is one that we at Rheinmetall are particularly proud of."

Michael Wittlinger, Managing Director of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, also expressed pride in the achievement and personally thanked all those involved, both on the customer side and within the company. Michael Wittlinger: "Within a tight timeframe, great things have been achieved here through a fantastic partnership - the result speaks for itself."

Specifically for military users

The HX2 is a vehicle specially designed for military users and constantly evolving. The focus during development was on a consistent family concept that offers major advantages in spare parts supply, as well as in training and interoperability. At the same time, maximum mobility and maximum robustness were primary development goals.

By the way, the manufacturer is on the right track in the production process. Because for the first delivery year of 2018, Rheinmetall is already well above the target of 90 vehicles. It is currently expected that 110 UTF trucks will be delivered this year.

RHEINMETALL DEFENCE on the Internet: www.rheinmetall-defence.com