The budget committee of the German Bundestag released the financing for the second batch of unprotected military transport vehicles UTF mil - after the expert opinion of the defense committee. For 96 million euros, 161 trucks of the payload class (ZLK) 5 t and 91 trucks of the ZLK 15 t are to be called off and navigation devices procured from the framework agreement between the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Federal Armed Forces (BAAINBw) and Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV). become. The UTF mil project is considered one of the flagship projects in terms of adherence to deadlines and budgets.
The BMVg has noted that as many transport vehicles as possible are needed, especially with regard to the tasks of the Bundeswehr in the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2023.
In July 2017, BAAINBw and RMMV concluded a framework agreement for the delivery of 2,271 UTF mil with a financial volume of 900 million euros and the first lot with 558 trucks - 339 trucks in the ZLK 5 t (6×6) and 219 trucks in the ZLK 15 t (8×8) – retrieved. Just one year later, the first vehicles were handed over to the troops. By the end of 2018, 110 trucks - more than required - had been produced. Full delivery of the first batch will be completed in the coming months.
The production of the second batch is to follow immediately and, according to planning, be completed by the end of 2019 when the vehicles are handed over to the troops. A further 1,461 trucks can be called off under the framework agreement. A period up to 2024 has been agreed for this.
Die ungeschützten militärischen Transportfahrzeuge aus der Bauserie HX2 von RMMV sind von Grund auf nach den militärischen Anforderungen konstruiert worden. Dabei wurden soweit möglich bewährte Baugruppen aus der Großserie verwendet.
The UTF mil with its container carrying frame from Empl or Saxas can accommodate different load carriers for the diverse transport tasks in the context of national and alliance defense as well as in international operations and are particularly suitable as towing vehicles for various trailers.
Distinctive features of the HX2 are the (one or two) 11-ton axles at the front and the 13-ton axles at the rear. In conjunction with the reinforced frame, this enables the UTF mil to carry protected cabs that are envisaged in the contract but have not yet been ordered. In it, the crew is protected against fire, artillery splinters and mines/IEDs. All cabins have three full-size seats for soldiers with protective vests and storage space for their equipment. The roof is prepared to accommodate a remote-controlled weapon station. Therefore, the vehicle is also provided with the Iron Cross as a mark of identification for combat vehicles.
An MAN six-cylinder diesel engine with 324 kW and emission control in accordance with Euronorm 5 serves as the drive. This means that the vehicle can also be operated with fuel of a lower quality in the single-fuel concept. The fully automatic powershift transmission (seven forward gears, two reverse gears, integrated retarder) is the basis for easy operation. Thanks to monitoring and assistance systems, the driver hardly has to do anything other than determine the speed with the accelerator and brake pedal and the route with the steering wheel.
The addition of the UTF mil is an important building block in the renewal of the Bundeswehr's vehicle fleet. Since 2000, the protected command and function vehicles (GFF), whose first renewals are now pending, have been used. The protected transport vehicles have been running since 2012. BwFuhrparkService GmbH has been providing commercial trucks with special military equipment as a mobility service since 2002.
Gerhard Heiming