Deliveries of more than 2500 Rheinmetall MAN high mobility logistics vehicles to the Australian Defence Force have achieved a major new milestone with the Commonwealth of Australia declaring Initial Operating Capability (IOC) status for the LAND 121 Phase 3B program. Rheinmetall welcomes the announcement by Minister for Defence Senator the Hon. Linda Reynolds CSC that Land 121 Phase 3B has achieved IOC following Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2019.
The Land 121 Phase 3B contract commenced in April 2016 with a four year program focused on the delivery of a fleet of 2536 vehicles in multiple configurations to form the logistics backbone of the Australian Defence Force. Deliveries to Australian Army facilities around Australia are expected to be completed by April 2020 under the Land 121 Phase 3B program schedule.
“The progress of the Land 121 Phase 3B program at this important milestone is testament to the strong working relationship between Rheinmetall and the Commonwealth,” said Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing director Gary Stewart. “Together, we are delivering the most protected, mobile, reliable, versatile and cost-effective vehicles in their class to the Army and the wider ADF and ensuring the safety of Australian soldiers.”
The vehicles included under the Land 121 Phase 3B program and delivered to the Australian Army to date include the variants:
- Heavy Integrated Load Handling (HX-77)
- Heavy Tipper (HX-77)
- Medium Tipper (40-M)
- Tractor (HX-81)
- Heavy Recovery (45M)
- Medium-weight Tray with Crane (40M)
- Medium-weight Tray (40M).
“These vehicles combine Rheinmetall’s expertise in survivability and mission specific equipment with MAN’s high-end automotive components and driver assistance systems, together with mission-specific high-tech components from a network of Australian industry partners,” Mr Stewart said.
Australian industry capability (AIC) is a critical part of the Land 121 Phase 3B program, particularly during the integration and delivery of the vehicles to the Australian Army. This commitment to AIC will be underscored during the next phase of the program – Land 121 Phase 3B/5B – which will see Rheinmetall deliver a further 1044 vehicles and 872 modules, as well as on-going support to the capability to ensure it meets operational requirements, working alongside its growing network of Australian industry partners.
Around 10,000 of Rheinmetall MAN vehicles are in service worldwide, which – in multinational operations – offers major advantages with regard to interoperability and logistics. Among current user nations are the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Norway.
