The British company Multidrive (known for making military and civilian off-road vehicles) has produced a new take on the military truck. Known as the Multi-Purpose Mobility Platform or MPMP, the vehicle is intended to fulfill the British Army's requirement for a new cargo vehicle. It can be carried by a C-130 cargo plane or slung under a CH-47 helicopter. The MPMP has four large 16R20 tires with a central tire pressure system. Each wheel has an independent axle and can be steered. The basic MPMP has a 275hp engine, although a 360hp engine is available as an option. There is a six-speed fully-automatic transmission with a two-speed transfer box. The cab (which can hold two or three people) is fully enclosed and has rollover protection. It can be fitted with extra armor to protect the crew from bullets, shell fragments, and mines. The vehicle has a built-in system to handle cargo modules on the flat bed. The truck is designed to carry standard European 20 foot cargo containers, but can carry any similar-sized cargo. If fitted with the company's well-known trailer, it could carry two such containers and a total of 15 tons of cargo. Multidrive says that the MPMP could be used as a troop carrier, command post, mortar platform, ambulance, engineer vehicle, artillery support vehicle, or for other purposes, all of which could incorporate armor proof against bullets and fragments. The company is studying 6x6 and 8x8 versions of the vehicle.--Stephen V Cole