The Pro XD firefighting and rescue units provide a diesel engine and enhanced payload

Minneapolis – October 8, 2020 – Utility task vehicles (UTV) are a critical component to any department’s fleet, improving response time, reach and reducing the personnel requirements, without compromising mobility, budget or effectiveness. The new Pro XD firefighting and rescue units are turn-key vehicles from Polaris Government and Defense, a division of global powersports leader Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII), and the only utility vehicle manufacturer to directly offer complete and turn-key fire and rescue vehicle packages covered under manufacturer’s limited warranty.

The Polaris Pro XD is designed for the sole purpose of work, with an increased payload in the pallet-sized cargo box, greater durability and better serviceability. Pro XD has two and four-seat, gas and diesel models offering up to 2,075 pounds payload and 2,500 pounds towing capacities, heavy-duty driveline components and up to 200-hour maintenance intervals. The vehicles also feature puncture-resistant Kevlar®-backed vinyl seats, all-new tires for longer life on hard-packed surfaces, as well as multiple standard safety features like horn, reverse beeper and vehicle fault alarms which notify users of potential issues that could cause serious damage to the vehicle.

The Polaris Pro XD is a heavy-duty UTV-based apparatus designed to expand the reach of fire and rescue personnel and help improve response time in environments and conditions that traditional vehicles can’t access. The Pro XD’s larger cargo box and expanded payload allows for bigger skids, incorporating professional systems that are familiar, having been developed with years of firefighter input by industry expert RKO Enterprises®. The diesel model also benefits departments and organizations that have otherwise standardized on heavy-fuels. Three models include the firefighting UTV-based apparatus, rescue only, and a combination fire and rescue vehicle.

The Pro XD firefighting UTV has a 95-gallon water with 5-gallon integral foam copoly tank, foam fire suppression system, professional fire pump, hose and reel, and the ability to draft from an external water source. The Pro XD rescue skid incorporates a rear attendant seat and a stokes rescue basket. And a combination fire and rescue skid incorporates the fire tank and equipment as well as the stokes rescue basket. Any of the vehicles can also include professional emergency lighting, public address system and custom graphics to match the rest of a department’s fleet.

RKO Enterprises® develops the fire and rescue skids and integrates the equipment to provide the best, finished vehicle solutions for our customers. The fire and rescue equipment skids are also removable, retaining the vehicle’s modularity and allowing the Pro XD to be used for a variety of jobs, including fire prevention, search and rescue, public works applications, disaster relief and community events.

Polaris fire and rescue vehicles are also available for government discount pricing through GSA, Sourcewell® (formerly NJPA) or state or local contracts. Once purchased, the vehicles are professionally upfit and delivered directly to the customer’s location. The entire system comes fully set up for immediate use and is under full warranty from Polaris. Polaris also offers customers the capability to support and maintain their own fleet of vehicles through maintenance and operator training courses, authorized Pro XD dealers or Polaris can be contracted directly to provide the on-site service for the vehicles. Pro XD accessories also include an all-weather cab, heater and defrost, winch, and electric cargo box lift kit with in-dash switch.

Polaris has a history of helping organizations that serve our community and recognizes the important role grants play in funding. This commitment is strengthened through a grant assistant program geared toward state and local government, and educational customers. bit.ly/PolarisGrants.

Electronic forms of shopping, service and support have always been available, but even more so now with an increased emphasis toward expanding alternatives to in-person options. The Polaris.com/Gov website continues to be a resource for customers with online shopping tools and product specs for Pro XD. Customers can contact the Polaris Government and Defense team via phone at (866) 468-7783 or visit the online quote form for more information or to request a quote.

Polaris is a unique vehicle supplier that harnesses its more than 65-year legacy of mobility leadership, rich heritage of innovation, and vast commercial enterprise resources, along with a team of dedicated government, defense, and technology experts and operators to deliver the products that customers need to get their missions done. This winning combination of Polaris performance, procurement simplicity, premium service, training, support, and sustainment results in a best-value for government and defense customers.

ALLENTOWN, PA (Sept. 28, 2020) – Mack Defense has delivered six armored Mack® Granite®-based M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDT) to the U.S. Army for the Production Vehicle Testing (PVT) phase of its $296 million contract. The trucks will now enter 40 weeks of rigorous durability testing at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Test Center.

“Over the past several years, our teams have worked incredibly hard in partnership with the U.S. Army to develop, engineer and begin building these next generation trucks,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “We’re confident the armored version will provide the operator protection levels required by the U.S. Army.”

The PVT phase of the contract includes a number of vehicle tests to evaluate the trucks against U.S. Army performance and durability. In addition, the trucks will undergo live-fire testing to determine occupant survivability. Non-armored Mack Defense M917A3 trucks entered the PVT phase in 2019.

“Throughout the PVT phase of the contract, the U.S. Army will provide feedback on how the trucks are performing,” said Jack Terefinko, HDT program manager for Mack Defense. “That will allow us to continue to fine tune the program and ensure we’re meeting all requirements.”

The U.S. Army began soliciting bids for a new generation of HDTs in June 2017, seeking to offer increased protection levels, as well as higher payload capacity and improved mobility. Mack Defense was awarded the contract in May 2018, which allows for Mack Defense to produce armor-capable or armored HDTs with deliveries through May 2025.

Based on the civilian Mack Granite model, Mack Defense engineered the M917A3 HDT to meet the current needs of the U.S. Army, while also allowing for evolving requirements and future growth. With heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive and increased suspension ride height, the M917A3 is capable of meeting the demanding payload and mobility requirements set by the U.S. Army HDT program.

www.mackdefense.com

Minneapolis – September 1, 2020 – Agile, compact and full of power, the MRZR Alpha is the newest light tactical vehicle from Polaris Government and Defense, the largest ultralight tactical vehicle provider for the U.S. military, and a division of global powersports leader Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII). The MRZR Alpha is Polaris’ 11th military vehicle produced in 12 years and it represents the insertion of cutting-edge off-road vehicle technology for ultimate tactical mobility – derived from research and development investments that keep Polaris in front of the highly competitive off-road vehicle market.

Developed for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the MRZR Alpha supports requirements for a longer life-cycle while increasing performance and payload and maintaining internal air transportability. The MRZR Alpha is currently under General Services Administration (GSA) contract through the Light Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (LTATV) program, which has a value of up to $109 million and was awarded on May 29, 2020.

“By following the demanding requirements and feedback from U.S. Special Operations Forces, we’ve created the highest performing MRZR yet – and in the process, established an all-new breed of vehicle that is still internally transportable via V-22 in a more capable package to ensure mission success,” said Nick Francis, director, Polaris Defense. “The MRZR Alpha is powerful and flexible enough for expanded missions, provides more durability to meet an extended life-cycle and is agile in off-road environments to best support operators, yet compact and lightweight for tactical air transport.”

The MRZR’s light weight and off-road capabilities make it ideal for transport via helicopter and operation in terrain that would otherwise be traversed on foot. Since their introduction, MRZRs have been outfitted with counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), direct-fire weapons, high-energy laser systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, tactical aviation ground refueling systems, expeditionary command and control systems, autonomy packages, litters for casualty evacuation and communication equipment. First introduced in 2012, Polaris has continued to enhance the MRZR platform to meet the mission demands of the U.S. military, and over 40 allied forces worldwide – and the MRZR Alpha ups the ante once again.

Beyond infantry support, the MRZR Alpha’s enhanced system design and payload capacity expand its possible mission roles to include indirect fire weapons, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) systems, network-on-the-move, logistics and missile launch. The MRZR Alpha retains a 1500 lb towing capacity common in the MRZR family, as well as blackout mode and a two-litter capacity. The MRZR Alpha comes in a two and four-seat option, like its predecessors, and now a mission kit provides ROPS for two additional rear-facing seats.

A new chassis provides a larger and more durable foundation for the latest MRZR, which is powered by a high-performance 8-speed automotive transmission and a powerful, yet quiet, 4-stroke, 118 hp turbo-diesel engine. This provides 200 ft-lbs of efficient torque that, when combined with a selectable locker for the 2WD/4WD drive system, delivers superior off-road maneuverability and handling in the most demanding environments, including deep sand. In the cab, there is increased exportable power, more cab space and a greater configurability.

The payload for the MRZR Alpha two and four-seat variants increases to 1400 and 2000 lbs, respectively, and the range at gross-vehicle weight (GVW) increases to 225 miles for expanded mission flexibility. It is heavy-fuel compatible – including DF1, DF2, JP8 and F24 – and can achieve a top speed of over 60 mph to support convoy operations. An expanded off-road profile is made possible with 12 inches of ground clearance at full GVW, high clearance dual A-arm front and rear suspension with payload leveling, and 32-inch, high mobility run-flat tires with bead-lock rims.

The MRZR Alpha can be internally transported by V-22, H-47 and larger aircraft by leveraging toolless ROPS and spare tire stowage. External transportation includes H-60 and larger rotary wing lift assets. Robust tie down and lifting provisions also allow for LVAD, JPADS and HSL certifications.

Like all Polaris military platforms, the new MRZR Alpha continues a legacy of light tactical military vehicles that are intuitive to operate, easy to maintain, and easy to globally support within an existing worldwide infrastructure of parts distribution and dealer service networks. With the MRZR Alpha, maintenance is simplified through an On-Board Diagnostics interface (OBD-II) for real-time feedback on the status of the vehicle subsystems and a pinpoint diagnostics manual. On board vehicle systems support future condition-based maintenance and guided diagnostics.

Polaris will support the MRZR Alpha worldwide as a global company with over 3,500 dealers and products sold to 120 countries. Polaris has been supplying traditional technical and parts manuals along with in-person training to the military for years – and leveraging corporate resources, Polaris can also offer new training opportunities to the military. Best-in-class online training videos, app-based technologies and computer aided modeling within electronic technical manuals are currently offered to Polaris’ dealers and can be easily adapted to train today’s military technician.

Dedicated Military Field Service Representatives (FSRs) have been teaching operator and maintainer training courses for more than 12 years to the U.S. and its allies. Polaris also provides world-class parts distribution – an established inventory management system allows for proactive management of parts inventory, minimizes lead time for parts and reduces the logistics for supply chain planning and management.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the United States military’s rising demand for Polaris off-road vehicles led to Polaris being the first ATV OEM to produce militarized vehicles for U.S. Special Operations Forces and the United States Army. To better serve its military customers, Polaris established Polaris Defense in 2005. Today, Polaris offers full program management and logistics support to manage traditional programs of record for domestic and international customers. Polaris designs, engineers and produces its MV850 ATV, MRZR and DAGOR military vehicles in the U.S.