Green giants on the way

An Equipment and Logistics news article

11 Jun 07

The UK's fleet of military supply trucks is being replaced by a range of remarkable new vehicles. Report by Roy Bacon of Defence Focus.

Load master: super truck unveiled
[Picture: MOD]

The biggest truck procurement programme in Europe for 25 years is underway – a seven-year deal between MOD and manufacturer MAN ERF for over 7,000 vehicles in 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8-wheel variants.

The vast majority of the trucks – over 80 per cent – are destined for the Army, but there will also be new vehicles for the Royal Marines and RAF. The trucks are expected to be in service for around 20 years, and will replace a fleet of carriers, some of which date back to the 1970s.

The new trucks are designed to carry 379 defined loads: everything from ration packs to other vehicles. The cabs of vehicles deploying to operational theatres can be fitted with crew protection in the form of a bolt-on armour pack.

The diesel-engined trucks, which cost in the region of £105k for the most basic variant, offer a degree of comfort that military drivers have only been able to dream about until now. Air-conditioning is a powerful weapon against the summer temperatures in Iraq and Afghanistan, and air-suspended seats will iron out the bumps in unmade roads wherever the British military operate.

Unlike their ageing predecessors, the MAN trucks come with an electronic diagnostic kit that can tell fleet managers when they require servicing. GPS and advanced measurement systems will be able to track vehicle position and check on driver performance.

Chassis and cabs will be brought together at MAN's plant in Vienna, before the trucks are shipped to the UK to be fitted with bodies by British manufacturers. Most servicing will be done in-house by MOD, with deep maintenance carried out by the manufacturers. That means less time away from the front line.

The procurement programme, currently one of MOD's largest, is being overseen by the 18-strong Support Vehicle Procurement Team based at Abbey Wood.

Down and dirty: water no obstacle
[Picture: MOD]

So what is the MAN like to drive?

Journalists were let loose on the trucks at the cross-country course at Millbrook, Bedfordshire. The circuit includes a wading pool (filled with 1.5m of muddy water on our visit), tight turns, and a 2:1 slope.

The trucks are real point-and-go vehicles. Most have fully automatic gearboxes, so the only thing to control is the throttle and the power-assisted steering.

The box-frame chassis and massive coil-spring suspension of the "extreme mobility" version means loads remain protected even while driving fast over terrain normally only accessible to tracked vehicles. And because the driver sits over the front wheels, visibility is excellent. In fact, the truck is easier to drive than the average car, with a responsive engine and (considering the terrain) a comfortable ride.

Unlike the correspondent of another magazine, who managed to burst a tyre, Defence Focus had a clear round. If the office budget had run to it, we would have ordered one there and then. Not ideal for cutting through the London traffic perhaps, but parking would be no problem. They don't make wheel-clamps that big.

All about... the MAN X60 4x4 truck