The Bundeswehr (the German army) has awarded Rheinmetall the largest order in the company's history for logistic vehicles. The framework contract stipulates the delivery of up to 6,500 military trucks for a total value of €3.5 billion. Following the approval of funds by the budget committee of the German Federal Parliament on June 26, 2024, the contract with Rheinmetall Man Military Vehicles (RMMV) was signed on July 1, 2024, by the president of BAAINBw, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and the management of RMMV.
An initial order of over 610 vehicles, valued at €312 million, is imminent, with the delivery of 250 units expected by 2024. This funding primarily comes from the Bundeswehr's special funds. The framework contract allows the Bundeswehr to flexibly order additional quantities of already introduced unprotected transport vehicles, such as the Utf 5t and Utf 15t trucks, for seven years. Additionally, a new vehicle category will be introduced: the 4x4 Utf 3.5t, with a maximum of identical components to the Utf family.
The Ungeschützte Transportfahrzeug (Utf) family – consisting of unprotected vehicles – is already used by the Bundeswehr’s logistics units. In July 2017, the Bundeswehr ordered from Rheinmetall Man the delivery of the new all-terrain military vehicle family Utf with load capacities of 5t and 15t. Since 2017, over 6,000 HX vehicles have been delivered to the Bundeswehr, along with interchangeable load units (Wechselladersystem or WLS) and 70t tractor units. A large percentage of WLS and Utf – over 75 percent – are produced in Germany.
The Utf and WLS are based on RMMV’s robust HX family. They are designed for military use and are characterized by high mobility, even in difficult terrains. The widespread global distribution of the HX vehicle family offers significant advantages for interoperability and logistics, especially in multinational missions. Besides Germany, the user group currently includes the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Singapore, Slovenia, Denmark, and Ukraine. The new order highlights the high acceptance of the tested HX vehicles, of which about 20,000 are already in use worldwide.
Michael Wittlinger, president of Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, explains that: “The framework contract is an essential contribution to quickly meeting the demands of the Bundeswehr’s logistical forces. The standard vehicle family and uniformity with the vehicles of other beneficiary nations establish the HX vehicles as the primary logistic vehicles within NATO, setting a standard for interoperability and logistic efficiency within the Alliance. This order once again reflects our role as a leader in the global market for logistic vehicles.”
