July 26, 2017:
In mid-2017 Germany finally selected a new military truck model. This came after MAN Military Vehicles won the Unprotected Transport Vehicle (UTF) completion. This was long overdue since the German army has been using KAT model trucks since the 1970s. MAN now has to deliver more than 2,200 HX2 truck by 2024 with the first ones arriving in 2018. The cost per truck is about $455,000 and logistical support for the useful life of the vehicles. This includes spare parts, training for future users and similar other things.
The HX2 trucks come in many variants ranging from 4x4 up to 10x10. The German Army has settled for just two model. The HX42M (6x6) can carry at 5 ton payload while the HX44M (8x8) can carry up to 15 tons. Both models are all-terrain vehicles and have a fording depth capability of 1.5 meters without prior preparation. Thanks to modular design the trucks can be easily configured for several different functions like cargo transport, recovery vehicles, tankers and system platforms as well even as folding-road and bridge-laying systems. What is more important both trucks share around 90% of parts between them including 440 hp engines. This unification concept makes them much easier and cheaper to maintain compared to situation when there is fleet of different vehicles to maintain. Furthermore the robust chassis design, allows to add additional protection elements if necessary. The cabs can also be equipped with an optional NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protective ventilation system. Other options include, integrated command and control systems, remotely controlled weapon stations, jammer, active defense systems (ADS) and smoke or obscurant dispensers.
Logistics is one of the most important things for armed forces. The modern operations abroad and in country require reliable logistics. This can’t be achieved by old equipment designed for other criteria (cold war era). Furthermore the more old vehicle fleet gets old it becomes the less reliable and more expensive to maintain. The Germans decided that this was right time to start replacing nearly 40 transport system for new one which will probably remain in service for similar time. -- Przemysław Juraszek