Moving heavy aircraft such as the giant Lockheed C17 Globemasters and Tristar passenger jets calls for specialist vehicles and the RAF has purchased 32 Large Aircraft Tow Tractors (LATTs).
They will be distributed across all RAF Main Operating Bases such as RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, RAF Marham in Norfolk and RAF Kinloss in Scotland. Others will operate in the Falklands, Ascension, Akrotiri and Gibraltar.
Ross Martin, the RAF Wyton-based Aircraft Support IPT project officer, said:
"Each costs about £280,000 and I believe it is the largest single order for such vehicles in the last 30 years. Fuel economy was a major factor in buying these vehicles – for smaller aircraft they are relatively light at 32 tonnes, but can rapidly have extra weights added to their flat upper surface to maintain the all-important friction when moving heavier, often fully laden aircraft.
"While its horsepower is a modest 272hp, its torque and power-to-weight ratio are so high one could tow a large cruise ship along a dockside without grumbling. It will easily handle the Airbus 380 – the world’s largest aircraft – when it comes into service.
"They have air-conditioning and several steering modes including all-wheel steer. Their higher speeds means they move more aircraft quicker. Most importantly the flexible ballast system means the lighter they are the less fuel they burn."
Each tractor – manufactured by Schopf of Germany - weighs in at a hefty 32 tonnes, but can be ballasted up to 55 tonnes for fully loaded ultra large aircraft such as the Antonov AN-124 which are sometimes used to transport military equipment.
All are branded with the latest RAF roundel and logo and caused considerable local interest when being transported through Germany by low-loader from the factory in Stuttgart. Ross added:
"By purchasing a large number of the same type, we are replacing a number of smaller, less capable tractors of all different makes and freeing up engineering resources catering for a variety of models. And it is air-transportable, so it can accompany expeditionary forces wherever they go in the world."