Germany’s Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will supply the Australian Defence Force with an extensive fleet of advanced logistical vehicles worth €1.1 billion, winning a major competition that included American and European manufacturers.
The joint venture between Rheinmetall AG and MAN Truck & Bus AG, which will also be a strong contender in the Canadian Medium Support Vehicle System – SMP (Standard Military Pattern) program when it is relaunched later this year, will supply the ADF with trucks in a range of different weight classes in various configurations, including medium and heavyweight recovery vehicles, heavy-duty logistical vehicles, integrated load handling systems and medium-sized cargo bed variants with cranes, fuel and water modules and tipper bodies.
The vehicles are part of Australia’s “Land 121” modernization program. Deliveries will begin in 2016 and should be completed in 2020.