ALLENTOWN, PA – Mack Defense announced today that the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserve have ordered an additional 144 Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs).

The additional vehicles, based on the commercially available Mack® Granite® model, are part of the previously announced firm-fixed price $296 million contract to be fulfilled over seven years that the Army awarded Mack Defense in 2018. The HDTs are a key component in construction and maintenance missions for infrastructure assets, such as airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools.

“We are proud to maintain our production operation which was created for the U.S. Army M917A3 HDT program, and we are extremely proud that our Mack Defense HDT vehicles, which have been fielded, are meeting and exceeding expectations,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “Mack Defense remains committed to producing vehicles for the U.S. armed forces based on modified versions of our industry-leading Mack vehicles providing the latest technologies and best value while meeting the military’s demanding requirements.”

The Army previously had ordered 155 HDTs, which are spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other ruggedized features to meet the unique requirements of the Army. Those HDT vehicles have all been built, and final deliveries will continue through August 2022.

The Mack Granite HDT model is a modern truck equipped with modern technology, such as ABS and other active safety systems. The Granite model is user-friendly, comfortable and safer to operate compared with other past models used by the Army, which is key to the Army’s investment in the new HDTs, Hartzell said. The Granite HDTs and the production line at the Mack Experience Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, were both inspected by the government quality auditors to ensure both met expectations.

Production of the HDTs at the MEC began in Q1 2021, following an investment of $6.5 million to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility. The production line helps fulfill the M917A3 contract, while allowing Mack Defense to produce other vehicle variants.

The production line in the MEC is in Mack’s former Customer Adaptation Center, where vehicle modifications occurred. The Customer Adaptation Center has since moved to Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled. Previously, non-armored HDT vehicles began production at LVO and were then transported to the MEC, where final assembly, including adding the dump body, occurred.

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. – August 22, 2022 – BAE Systems’ Beowulf has won the U.S. Army’s competition for its Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program and the company has received a $278 million contract for production units, spare parts and contractor logistics support. The win further confirms BAE Systems as the industry leader in the design and production of military all-terrain vehicles for operations in harsh terrains and in the toughest weather conditions.

Beowulf is an unarmored, tracked, and highly versatile vehicle for carrying personnel and a variety of payloads in either of its two compartments. Beowulf can traverse snow, ice, rock, sand, mud, and swamp conditions, and can operate in steep mountain environments. Its amphibious feature also allows it to swim in flooded areas or coastal waters. This marks the first sale of Beowulf, which is based on its sister BvS10 armored variant in service with several European nations.

As the focus on Arctic Mobility operations grows, we see increasing opportunities in other markets for the BvS10 and Beowulf with an emerging demand to replace legacy BV206s.

“Beowulf is a highly capable solution to meet the US Army’s requirement for Arctic operations. We look forward to providing our soldiers operating in challenging terrain and environments with this highly capable vehicle,” said Mark Signorelli, vice president of business development at BAE Systems Platforms & Services. “We have been maturing and modernizing cold weather all-terrain capabilities for decades, bringing advanced capabilities to the United States and numerous other countries. This contract means we will continue to do so for many years to come.”

Beowulf’s articulated mobility system is key to its effectiveness, providing optimal maneuverability across varying surfaces. Its modular design can be reconfigured for multiple missions, such as logistical support, disaster and humanitarian relief, search and rescue, and other missions as required.

Its large windows and spacious cabin make Beowulf suitable to the tasks for the CATV program, including search and rescue, defense support to civilian authorities, and homeland defense. Its modern, commercial design ensures soldiers’ operational effectiveness in executing a wide variety of difficult missions.

Beowulf successfully completed the prototype evaluation phase of the CATV program earlier this year in Alaska. It performed in multiple tasks while remaining fully mission capable. The testing included amphibious operations, navigating terrain with varying levels of complexity, starting and operating in extreme cold weather, and most critically, user assessment by soldiers.

Beowulf is built by BAE Systems Hägglunds in northern Sweden, adding firsthand experience in operating in an arctic environment. The platform includes several key components from U.S. suppliers, such as its engine, transmission, and hydraulic system. The CATV program will replace the legacy fleet of Small Unit Support Vehicles (SUSVs), also built by BAE Systems Hägglunds, and known internationally as the BV206. The BV206 has been in service globally, including with the U.S. Armed Forces, since the early 1980s.