Belgian Forces Unveil Innovative Tatra-Based Logistics Vehicles
Belgium commemorates its National Day on July 21 to honor its separation from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Each year, this national festivity features grand celebrations at Brussels Park, which traditionally incorporate a military parade. This year, for the first time, logistics vehicles crafted by Tatra Trucks from Kopřivnice for the Belgian military in collaboration with the partner firm DAF Trucks were showcased. A total of six brand new vehicles were unveiled in the logistics segment.
In 2021, DAF Trucks secured a contract to manufacture nearly nine hundred vehicles for the Belgian army. The chassis are produced at the Tatra Trucks factory in Kopřivnice, with some vehicles also set to receive a ballistic cabin developed by the Tatra Defence Vehicle division. This year will see the initial deliveries of Tatra chassis, which will be outfitted with superstructures and some with cabins in Belgium, with completion of the order anticipated by 2025.
“The entire lineup of National Day festivities at Brussels Park was remarkable, culminating in the military parade. It is a tremendous privilege for us that the new logistics vehicles on the Tatra chassis were featured. Thanks to our collaboration with DAF Trucks, which supplies the cabins and engines for our Tatra Phoenix model series, we successfully penetrated the competitive Belgian market. We believe this significant order will serve as an excellent reference for Tatra and open avenues into other armed forces with stringent requirements for vehicle driving performance and crew safety,” shared Kamil Košťál, Marketing Director of Tatra Trucks, directly from Brussels.
DAF’s vehicles for the Belgian army build upon the collaboration regarding the Tatra Phoenix model series. By 2025, a total of 879 logistics trucks mounted on Tatra chassis, featuring a central load-carrying tube and independently suspended swinging half-axles, will be produced. As per the Belgian army’s request, 636 trucks will adopt a 4×4 configuration, while 243 will feature a four-axle 8×8 design.
The unarmored cabins for the majority of the vehicles will be supplied by DAF Trucks, the primary contractor and final provider for this substantial order. A count of 352 vehicles will come furnished with armored cabins developed and produced at the Tatra Defence Vehicle facility in Kopřivnice. Currently, this represents the most secure cabin available for crew protection within the logistics vehicle category. The contract encompasses vehicles designed for transporting containers with hook loaders, flatbeds, platform versions equipped with hydraulic arms, and one-sided tippers.
“At Tatra Defence Vehicle, we have entirely engineered cabins with ballistic and mine protection meeting Level 3 standards according to STANAG for this order. This product demonstrates that we are not just manufacturers of specialized equipment; we also possess a robust development and design bureau. We have showcased our capabilities in the Pandur II and TITUS projects as well. The production of ballistic cabins for the Belgian Army serves as a significant reference for us regarding other prospective orders,” noted Tomáš Mohapl, Director of Tatra Defence Vehicle.
