Rheinmetall Boosts Bundeswehr Capabilities with New Fleet of Logistic Vehicles
The Federal Procurement Office of Germany for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and Operational Support, also known as BAAINBw, has issued a directive to Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) for an additional 1,401 military trucks, amounting to a gross value of €543 million. These trucks fall under the Bundeswehr classification of Unprotected Transport Vehicles (UTFs). The financing for this enhanced acquisition of a thousand vehicles is provided through the German federal government’s pandemic recovery initiative. Scheduled delivery is set for 2021 and 2022. A framework agreement for modern military truck acquisition, established in July 2017, initially outlined the procurement of 2,271 vehicles but has since been expanded to accommodate an extra 1,000 trucks, raising the total to 3,271 UTFs.
A current call-off from the foundational framework contract includes a total of 292 five-ton trucks and 109 fifteen-ton trucks. With associated services, the 401 vehicles in this order reach €154 million, inclusive of value-added tax. The delivery is expected to conclude by the end of 2021. Additionally, another 1,000 trucks – comprising 150 five-ton and 850 fifteen-ton variants – are set to be procured in 2021 and 2022. This procurement represents a total estimated at €389 million, VAT-inclusive. Financing will also derive from the German government’s economic recovery strategy, with completion of delivery anticipated by the end of 2022.
Focused on the dual modern demands of security and mobility, the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group is playing a crucial role in the modernization of the Bundeswehr’s logistics vehicle fleet, which includes thousands of trucks. Most of the primary components – such as engines, axles, transmissions, and superstructures – are manufactured in Germany; vehicle assembly is conducted at the RMMV facility in Vienna.
Especially in the context of multinational missions, the extensive deployment of RMMV vehicles provides significant benefits regarding interoperability and logistics. The armed forces of countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark currently depend on trucks from Rheinmetall. Additionally, both Norway and Sweden have made substantial truck orders with RMMV.
