First Stage of MoD Fleet Replacement Delivered

UK Ministry of Defence, The Ministry of Defence has taken delivery of 161 state of the art trucks that form the first stage of a £1.3 billion project to replace the MoD's tri-service fleet of four, eight, and fourteen tonne cargo vehicles and recovery trucks. 
 
The new support vehicles will be the logistic workhorse for all three services and are considerably more technically advanced than their predecessors. The trucks are fitted with more comfortable cabs, air conditioning and the latest in diagnostic and fault finding systems, They can also be fitted with an armour pack to protect crew from small arms fire and mine blast. 
 
Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, said: 
 
“I am delighted to announce the delivery of the first wave of these trucks from contractor MAN ERF. This is a significant milestone in our aim to progressively replace the existing tri-service fleet during the next 7 years. 
 
“These trucks will give our front line forces a much improved vehicle for moving vital supplies such as ammunition, food and water while on operations. They will be able to operate across rough terrain, in extreme environments of hot and cold, and can drive ashore from landing craft.”  
 
Background Information
1. The contract for the vehicles was placed on 31 March 2005. 
 
2. 161 of the state of the art trucks were handed over at the Ashchurch inspection facility on 30 June 2007. 
 
3. Further vehicles will be delivered over the next 7 years and will be deployed operations during 2008. 
 
4. The base vehicle, composed of the chassis and cab, is built in Vienna and then shipped to the UK to have role-specific equipment fitted, for example a complex load bed at Marshalls Specialist Vehicles of Cambridge or a 7000 litre tank and pumping equipment at Fluid Transfer International, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. 
 
5. As well as benefiting from 21st century electronics and fault diagnosis, the new trucks are supported by a 20 year Contractor Logistic Support arrangement that includes world-wide spares replenishment, publication updates and reconditioning of repairable items, underpinned by guaranteed turn-around times and measured with contractual Key Performance Indicators.