500 support trucks will be delivered to the British Army in 2024 to support operational activity, following a rapid procurement process, say the Ministry of Defence.
Under a £282 million contract, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will deliver 500 multipurpose trucks that will allow personnel to load flat racks onto the platform, which can carry essential logistics such as ammunition, food, water, and support materiel, to operational locations.
The newly procured vehicles will be from the HX family, which are a range of purpose-designed military trucks equipped with a multitude of protection capabilities, keeping our most important asset safe, our people.
The vehicles will be delivered under the Rapid Acquisition Project, expediting the procurement of the trucks with efficiency and precision, meaning these advanced mobility trucks reach operational deployment swiftly, ultimately enhancing our military’s agility and responsiveness.
Minister For Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:
“The rapid delivery of transport capabilities to the front line is paramount to the lifeblood of British Army logistics and operations. This procurement demonstrates our commitment to equipping our Armed Forces with the best tools available, ensuring mobility, agility, and resilience in the face of evolving threats.”
Major General Darren Crook, Director of the Land Equipment Operating Centre, DE&S said:
“In an ever-changing and demanding operational landscape, it is essential that we can quickly identify what equipment our soldiers need and procure it rapidly. This project demonstrates our agility and our commitment to push the boundaries; it shows what we can achieve when we work collaboratively to deliver the equipment our Armed Forces need, when they need it. I’m delighted that together with industry that we have been able to turn around this contract from conception, through approvals to contract award and first delivery, in just seven months.”
Colonel Stuart Nassé, Assistant Head Military Capability Delivery, Army Headquarters said:
“We are delighted with this project which provides essential reinforcement to the logistic spine of the Army. As a collaborative project, it shows that the acquisition process can be responsive to user demands, and more importantly that when the user, delivery agent and industry all work together we can achieve significant outcomes quickly. We are really excited to put this important capability in the hands of the soldiers this year.”
The rapid procurement of these vehicles comes at an essential time, as in 2024 the British Army will face increased commitments through Op MOBILISE and its offer to the NATO New Force Model.
These trucks have been appearing in MOD sales before now!
someone needs a job or a bung!
Army has only ever sold 4 EPLS and that was to New Zealand. There is a requirement for nearly 2k and only 559 in service so they aren’t selling any.
The 4 EPLS sold to NZ were part of a buy for the GD REBS (Rapid Engineering Bridge System), back in about 2011/12 and didn’t come from UK stock. They then purchased a further batch of EPLS vehicles under the MHOV program that ran from 2013 to 2015. These were specifically built for NZ and the deal was delivered through RMMV (Australia).
You’re right the 4 to New Zealand we’re for REBS (I believe we got a few too). They did come out of UK stock though.
£282,000,000 divided by 500 is over £500k per truck.
I know there is a bit of hardening and armour…..comms…..NBC……and errr?
I hope the program is a success and gets the army closer to where it needs to be with AJAX and CH3 seemingly on track.
I’m hopefully seeking confirmation with respect to the UK Industrial Stategy – along the lines of:- looking forward, with regard for increasing requirement, production facilities within the UK are being actively investigated. I understood that just 20 years back MAN-ERG was thought to be the solution, not least since the British Army obtain many of this vehicle class/type. But that fell foul of ‘mismanagement’, somehow (i.e. perhaps like BL)? Welcome any clarity, though. Still bears emphasising at times like these that countries that maintain their industrial base take far more cost benefit * (e.g. internal investment) under rapid acquisition projects… Read more »
Does that particular phenomenon ever change? Do they go out of their way to pay as much money as possible? What are the reasons? Any through life support factored in?
Green paint ain’t cheap 😀
Agreed. Damn, for £564 K/vehicle, should have an amphibious capability, and possibly, a flight mode. 🤔🙄
I agree that it is a lot of money but if you have a look around a much smaller civilian version to move small rubbish(trash) skips using the same hook mechanism is 123,000 Euros.
For an armored, ruggedised, big brother I can see where the extra expense comes from. Also don’t forget that a lot of the cost isn’t in the tractor unit it is in the militarised pallet management system.
Depends how fast they want them. I’m beginning to feel that something is beginning to change in the attitude of HMG. The Chancellor is now dropping massive hints about Tax cuts not being what he hoped to deliver. They don’t give a Monkeys about what we say but after the Yanks let rip perhaps they have had to listen.
I can guarantee you no one in Whitehall gives two craps what anyone in Washington says, uk us diplomatic relations are at there lowest ebb in decades.
Honestly why would you think any British politician would listen to the US?
What could possibly be in it for them or the UK?
Because that is what give them a place on the international stage.
I wouldn’t mistake the inter services level of respect and cooperation for Plastic Paddy v Sunak lack of mutual respect.
There is also the heightened tension and the realisation that the toy box is rather empty which is embarrassing when you have cousins over for a play date?
Joking apart there is a moment when RN is asked to send warships and it can only send a couple and the continued coverage of the lack of land strike back gets quite embarrassing.
I’d say the needle on that dual has come quite close to Post Office Horizon levels in the last week or so.
Those tax cuts are coming. It’s the classic two card scam. Say oh we can’t deliver the cuts promised and then deliver them and say we managed to do it because of our amazing economic recovery that we created. Aren’t we great. Even though the economy is getting worse the average voter doesn’t read the stats or details.
If you compare that to the equivalent civilian truck, it’s not that bad. We’ve seen way worse, put it that way.
Just did that arithmetic myself and posted it above, before finding your post. I did wonder if the grossly OBSCENE £560,000-00 for each vehicle, might include a life-time service package ?!
Does this include spares, support, and interchangable payloads for different tasks?
I did wonder if the grossly OBSCENE £560,000-00 for each vehicle, might include a life-time service package ?!
Are these replacements for the DAF and Foden DROPS fleet ?
I thought the daf and rodent drops trucks were already replaced with man drop vehicles. These are a top up I think as the original number bought was a lot less than were in service.
Haha rodent trucks. Should be foden trucks
When can we expect the MAN Archers? I see France have just ordered 109 Caesar II to replace their Mk 1s. Europe is re-arming.
I feel like we are beginning to fall far behind the curve, it has recently been reported that Italy is hoping to procure over 400+ Leopard MBTs, France is going all in with new Rafaels and artillery, the Germans are getting new Typhoon EW planes and the Poles are just going absolutely crazy with everything and anything they can buy. Our future naval fleet will definitely being one of the most numerous and well armed comparatively in Europe (providing T-32 goes ahead) and we are doubling our rocket artillery numbers, but, our air-forces is looking a bit bewildered for what’s… Read more »
That’s what we all would like to know 🤔 don’t think there’s much hope with our government 🙄
It’s an election year. Any party that said it will spend extra billions on defence would open itself up to criticism on spending priorities and affordability etc. Orders are being placed for some items which must have been classified as a priorities or gaps like these MAN trucks and Jackal 3 HMTs. Seems to me most of the major programs have been decided; MLRS, CR3, Ajax, Boxer and are funded and in build, including those Boxer variants yet to be defined.
It might be that we are just ahead of the curve vs them in respect of modernisation. We already have a massive equipment purchase plan, ajax, boxer, frigates, f35b, etc etc that is well advanced. Hard to tell if Europe (outside the Eastern block) are rearming or just modernising.
Same as always. We are an island. Strong navy and reasonable air force is all we need.
Archers should be left in Volvo chassis saves the government messing about .Has you know if it works leave well alone 😏
Yes but it’s an entirely new vehicle / supply chain to set up and maintain for very few vehicles. New build Swedish Archers use same MAN trucks as we do.
A RAPID procurement ? What on earth is happening ?
So basically, the British Public are to be milked of £282million, to buy back these vehicles, that the GOVERNMENT handed over to private companies??
4 EPLS were sold to New Zealand, that was the only sale of British EPLS.
Most MAN trucks for sale are the 6 tonne which can’t be converted to EPLS, these 500 are new build anyway.
Ok… However, it still doesn’t account for the huge numbers of MOD bought and paid for vehicles, that are in the hands of private companies.
Case in point… last August, Soldier A had to drive 300+ miles, to get a replacement Land Rover, from a private companies depot!
If Eddie stobart was buying 500 of these it would be for 50-75k per unit, how exactly can we get to 600k per unit.
dont bother with spares, just buy 2k at a cheaper price
drops is the way to go but not at this cost
A decent Transit is £50,000 plus, but I still don’t get the near £600,000 costs.
Eddie Stobart won’t be buying anything. The company was taken over and is now part of the Culina group.
Yes they could buy total “commercial of the shelf”, but this would only be useful supplying up to the Divisional Support Area.
In Australia these seem to be built in the same factory as boxer, is the same going to happen for the uk order?
Australia didn’t build any trucks. All the cab and chassis come from Vienna. The latter part of the contract saw the “Tanker and Tipper” variants assembled onto the chassis in Brisbane as these were built down there. The new MILVEHCOE facility just outside Ipswich QLD, does built the Boxer, and this was all part of the deal for Australian content to ensure that the “defence dollar” was spent in country to support Aussie industry.
uk has a need for 5-7k of these or similar just to replace current fleet.
assume an annual order for 250, that’s the output of DAF trucks uk, so should be able to build a factory around this or add to one we already have, add in other vehicle requirements and we can easily do this in the UK at the right scale. It needs a stable order and large volumes of base platforms. Oh and leadership
We could even use an old base and create an industrial park if we wanted to, we’ve done it before
Leyland make more than 2k trucks per month. The army and air force have a need for ~10k trucks if all fleets were rationalised to one cab. At best that’s 500 a year, given ever shrinking numbers and vehicles staying in service long past their 20th birthday, it could be as low as 300 a year, and that’s assuming all trucks could be rationalised into one chassis which might not be possible. Without export orders that only the US could fulfil, or designing commercial variants, it wouldn’t be viable. The only way Army trucks will be built here is if… Read more »
Seems a bit expensive for new DROPS wagons! At the end of the day it’s still a truck, thousands of which are cutting about every road of the UK, but not for 500k per wagon!!!!!!
According to Jane, the Bundeswehr purchased batch 2 of 558 MAN HX trucks in 2017 for EUR240 million (£205,304,640.53) (including support) from Rheinmetall. Inflation-adjusted (Bank of England calculator) from 2017 to 2023 takes it to £262,588,237.53. looks like paying more for less, evidently with a £280 million for 500.
Brilliant news, now let’s see a similar approach for artillery. I wonder if Boxer and Ajax deliveries could be speeded up too!
Isn’t the updated version of Archer going to be mounted on these trucks?
Here’s a link: https://www.baesystems.com/en/feature/archer–the-development-of-wheeled-artillery-with-a-new-purpose
Alright, the Rapid Acquisition cost may be stupidly high, but it has this in common with all military projects. The alternative is to go through the same-old process of RFI, choosing a shortlist of suppliers, testing R&D models (whether physical or software models), downsizing the shortlist, selecting winner, contract negotiation, the first truck is delivered and we have a change of government who decide the cost growth is unacceptable so cancel and start again, after paying compensation to manufacturer. In twelve years we’ll eventually get the first of 160 trucks delivered for twice the price we have just agreed. Rapid… Read more »
What are the production lead times for these gold plated trucks? Most likely by the time the last one is delivered the first will be obsolete due to equipment upgrades through the production cycle. Or will they all be built to the same specification and delivered as a 500 unit all at once ferry load?
Now, can we do it for all of our other procurement needs
Out of curiosity why did these need to be rapidly procured? What happened to the old ones? Rapid procurement whilst it has the advantage of speed does mean you overpay and potentially get less capability, as don’t have a proper procurement process. Although I realise the mod/government procurement processes are a mess.
I think these must be replacements DAF and Foden DROPS units. There was an issue for the MOD in that the Foden’s had no manufactures support available any more.
I hope they are decently armoured against small arms fire. As Russia found, Ukraine made light work of their supply trucks and continues to do so.
Pretty sure I read that the UK version has an armoured cab
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/iav-2024-1010-hx3-system-trialled-for-uk-mobile-fires-platform-programme
Half a million quid per truck! Someone’s gone crazy on the optional extras!
Cup holders ain’t cheap 😉
Probably opted for the gold plated boiling vessel as well…
Found this interesting, re these trucks used as a bed for artillery:
Rheinmetall’s HX3 10×10 truck equipped with an automatic remote-controlled artillery turret conducted trials for the UK’s Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) programme in Bovington in 2023, Janes learnt at the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.
The 52 tonne system with a 25 m turning radius conducted trials including climbing a 31° slope, traversing a 2.3 m gap, and fording in 1.5 m deepwater.
(From Janes)
We already had plenty of foden drops, daf. Worked perfectly well for me🤷
Additional and not replacements! That’s a refreshing change
They MOD couldnt wait to slash ex RCT/ RLC Regiments, Squadrons and troops in mid 1990s. Just like the rest of the British Army. They had 200,000 plus seasoned soldiers from cooks to gunners to Infantry. Threw away the lot. To save nothing. Bad procurement choices soaked up millions of tax payers money. Now back peddle. After watching how in Ukraine. Its still boots on the ground win wars. But logistics gets us to victory.
The £282,000,000-00 contract / 500 vehicles = a grossly OBSCENE £560,000-00 for each vehicle, even if that figure represents a vehicle presumably complete with the DROPS hook and all the hydraulics to lift and pull-on the “flat-rack” !!
For those who rail against the price of these low population, military special trucks, a Quadtrac tractor costs in the range £518k to £615k and you don’t even get ‘a multitude of protection capabilities’ for that money.
I heard these 500 PLS are part of a cancelled/unwanted order for the Bundeswehr. Anyone know the gen?