Rheinmetall has received an order from the German Bundeswehr to supply a further 57 heavy tractor units in the 70-tonne payload class. Known as the “SaZgM 70t mil” in German military parlance, the unprotected heavy-duty trucks are scheduled for delivery in 2023 and 2024. The total value of the order is worth just over €50 million, including value added tax. The German armed forces use the trucks primarily for transporting heavy armoured vehicles like the Leopard 2 main battle tank and the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer.

Just booked, the current order is the last call-off from a framework contract signed in 2018 for the delivery of up to 137 SaZgM 70t mil trucks. Under the framework agreement, which had a 7-year lifetime, eighty tractor units have already been ordered and delivered to the Bundeswehr.

Rheinmetall’s HX81 tractor units are powered by an eight-cylinder 680 hp diesel engine. This gives the high-mobility all-wheel-drive truck a top speed of 89 km/h and the ability to climb gradients of 60 percent. The Gross Train Weight of the system is 130 tonnes. The HX81 tractor unit has the same driver’s cab as Rheinmetall’s UTF family of vehicles. If necessary, the cab can be exchanged for a protected version. It comes with a Rotzler double action winch system, with a combined maximum tractive force of 40 tonnes, enabling the all-terrain tractor unit to tow vehicles onto the trailer. 

Important contribution to reinforcing the Bundeswehr’s logistic capabilities

Logistic vehicles play a crucial role in assuring the operational effectiveness of combat units, enabling a rapid response and subsequent sustainment in the field. Being able to transport heavy combat vehicles is a key capability in national and alliance defence. The HX81 complements the Bundeswehr’s SLT heavy transport vehicle. Besides the unprotected HX81, Rheinmetall also supplies the Mammut protected heavy transport vehicle, along with the UTF unprotected transport vehicle and the WLS hook loading system.

Since 2018, Rheinmetall has supplied the Bundeswehr with over 4,000 military trucks. Together with the UTF and WLS, the SaZgM 70t tractor unit forms the logistic backbone of the Bundeswehr.

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles has signed a framework agreement with the Austrian procurement organization Bundesbeschaffung GmbH Wien to supply various logistics vehicles for the Austrian Armed Forces. Encompassing the delivery of up to 1,375 HX, TGS and TGM vehicles, the framework agreement runs for seven years. Potential order volume could reach up to €525 million.

The Austrian government’s request for tenders comprised a total of 23 lots, of which six were earmarked for the military. Given the various technical requirements for the lots, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) proposed vehicles from the TGM, TGS and HX model series with different axle configurations. RMMV’s proposal also included a variety of build-on systems such as cranes, platforms and tippers as well as roll-off, swap body and snow removal systems. RMMV received the go-ahead to supply Austria with all six lots of military vehicles.

“We’re very proud to be supplying the Austrian armed forces with state-of-the-art truck systems built at our plant in Vienna”, says Michael Wittlinger, chairman of the board of management of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles. “Our claim at Rheinmetall is to equip those who stand up for our security in the best possible way. We are convinced that our vehicles will protect, support and satisfy Austrian soldiers in the best possible way.”

Procurement of the logistic vehicles is part of a comprehensive modernization of the Austrian Army. “From now until the year 2029, €560 million will be invested in modernizing 170 armored vehicles, including 58 Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks and 112 Ulan infantry fighting vehicles”, declares Austrian defence minister Klaudia Tanner. ”Following the €873 million invested in procuring 36 AW169 ‚Lion‘ helicopters, this is the next big step in achieving a modern Army. Concrete steps like this are making the slogan ‘Mission Forward!’ a reality”, insists Tanner.

The Austrian armed forces have long been a very good customer of RMMV. They already successfully operate various vehicles from the company’s TGM, TGS and HX model series. Today, over 200 vehicles from the TGM model series with a double cabin and interchangeable build-on systems are in service. Furthermore, during the next few years, vehicles from the HX series with a three-sided tipper and rear-mounted crane will be delivered, as will vehicles from the TGS 8×8 series equipped with a Palfinger hook system. Since the end of 2021, the Austrian military has been using RMMV’s integrated armoured cabin, which, depending on requirements, can be mounted on existing HX trucks in very short order.

RMMV is a joint venture owned by Rheinmetall AG, which holds a 51% stake in the company, and MAN Truck & Bus SE, with the remaining 49% share. 

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — April 24, 2023 – Germany is investing in an additional 227 ultra- mobile, protected, all-terrain BvS10 vehicles from BAE Systems. The German contract, worth around $400 million, follows the joint procurement by Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom in support of Arctic operations for the Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program, with Sweden as the lead nation. This will extend the deliveries from the framework agreement, which are to begin in 2024, out to 2030.

“This framework agreement streamlines the process by allowing prospective and existing customers to acquire vehicles at previously negotiated terms, while also benefiting from the joint development,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, which manufactures the vehicles in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. “This will secure Germany’s access to these highly capable vehicles for decades to come, and demonstrates the strong relationship between BAE Systems and our customer.”

BAE Systems’ military all-terrain vehicles are designed for operations in the harshest and most remote environments, and this agreement signals the company’s position as the defense industry’s leader in these capabilities. The new contract is for additional troop transport vehicles and armored personnel carriers (APCs), as well as three new German BvS10 versions; Command and Control (C2), and two logistics variants that will add combat support to the German Armed Forces.

The BvS10 (and Beowulf) are world-leading all-terrain solutions. Their articulated mobility systems provide optimal maneuverability across varying terrains including snow, ice, rock, sand, mud, swamps, and steep mountain environments. The vehicles’ amphibious feature also allows them to swim in flooded areas or coastal waters. The vehicles can deliver personnel and supplies to sustain strategic, tactical, and operational mobility.

BvS10’s unprecedented mobility is based on terrain accessible North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standards. Its modular design allows it to be reconfigured for varying missions and can be delivered in multiple variants that include carrying personnel, command and control, ambulance, vehicle repair and recovery, logistics support, situational awareness, and a weapons carrier with additional mortar capability.

The vehicle is currently operated by Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. BAE Systems’ Beowulf, the unarmored variant of the BvS10, won the U.S.

Army’s competition for its Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program in August. The U.S. Army will receive 110 vehicles over a five-year period.