This week, the Bundestag committees for defense and budget again dealt with the procurement of transport vehicles for logistical tasks of the Bundeswehr - in addition to a wealth of other topics. The procurement of more than 1,000 protected transport vehicles for around 180 million euros had already been decided by the committees last week. The vehicles are financed from the regular defense budget. About it was inESuT.dealready reported.
The Bundeswehr had been promised 3.2 billion euros from the economic stimulus and future package that the federal government launched in June 2020 to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic with investments. It earmarked around 800 million euros for the procurement of wheeled vehicles.
tractor units
One of the projects is the procurement of 48 tractor units with a financial volume of 41 million euros. The semitrailer tractors, which have been prepared for the military and have unprotected cabs, can transport payloads of up to 70 tons (such as the Leopard 2 A7 battle tank). The cabins are prepared for the scaffolding of military communication and command equipment. The Elefant 2 tractor unit is based on the HX81 from Rheinmetal MAM Military Vehicles and has an eight-cylinder diesel engine with 500 kW. The all-wheel drive truck reaches a top speed of 89 km/h and can climb inclines of 60 percent. The technically permissible total train weight is 130 t.
For the procurement, the Bundeswehr is using a seven-year framework agreement signed with Rheinmetall in January 2019 for 137 Elefant 2 semitrailer tractors. After the first call for 32 vehicles - the delivery of which will be completed this year - the procurement of 48 semitrailer tractors will now be brought forward and implemented more quickly. This means that the vehicles can be used for the NATO spearhead VJTF 2023.
Unprotected transport vehicles
Vehicles are also being called ahead of time from another framework agreement with Rheinmetall for the procurement of unprotected transport vehicles (UTF) mil. In 2017, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support concluded a framework agreement for the delivery of a total of 2,271 logistics trucks in the five and 15 ton load classes. From this framework agreement, 401 unprotected transport vehicles will be called off early for around 154 million euros. These should be delivered by the end of 2021. 292 vehicles with a load of five tons and 109 vehicles with a load of 15 tons are to be purchased.
In addition, the existing framework agreement will be adjusted. For example, a further 1,000 unprotected military transport vehicles in payload classes of five and 15 tons can be purchased from funds from the federal government’s economic stimulus package to deal with the Corona crisis. Around 389 million euros are available for this purpose. This will procure 150 vehicles with a payload of five tons and 850 vehicles with 15 tons. These vehicles will be delivered in 2021 and 2022. The scope of procurement includes the delivery of spare parts, so that a high level of material operational readiness is guaranteed.
swap bodies
In two contracts, the Bundeswehr wants to procure standard swap bodies in two sizes. Swap bodies can be removed from the truck for loading and unloading. During goods handling, the truck is available for other tasks. 900 standard swap bodies with a length of 20 feet (6.10 m) and up to 950 standard swap bodies with a length of 15 feet (4.57 m) are to be procured for around 48 million euros. The swap bodies serve as additional equipment for the operation of the unprotected transport vehicles with both payload classes.
Gerhard Heiming
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