American Rheinmetall Vehicles and General Motors Defense have entered into a strategic collaboration to participate in the US Army’s Common Tactical Truck (CTT) project. According to a joint press release by the two companies, the US Army wants to find a replacement platform for the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV). The heavy and medium wheeled tactical vehicle fleet platforms to be replaced include:
- the PALLETISED LOAD SYSTEM (PLS)
- the HEAVY EXPANDED MOBILITY TACTICAL TRUCK (HEMTT)
- the M915 LINE HAUL TRACTOR
The total requirement is estimated at 5,700 vehicles, with a value of approximately US$5Bn (EUR4.9Bn).
The companies expect a prototyping contract to be awarded in December 2022 following the June RFP for the first phase, with prototypes to be delivered by the end of 2023 and tested by the US Army in 2024. The CTT production contract is expected to be awarded in 2025.
The companies explain that the CTT programme is a rapid prototyping project intended to enable the US Army to rapidly procure and test tactical truck prototypes to replace its current family of heavy tactical trucks. The US Army is looking for platforms with:
- driver safety systems
- good off-road capability
- cyber security
- machine learning
- artificial intelligence
- good survivability
- fuel efficiency
The Rheinmetall & General Motors Offer
Rheinmetall is focusing on its recently-launched HX3 series, and the company added that the HX3 series incorporates key commercial technologies that reflect the joint venture between Rheinmetall and MAN Truck & Bus. This simplifies logistics,maintenance, and the modernisation of vehicles. GM Defense brings its experience of:
- Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts
- rapid prototyping
- design
- engineering
- delivery
An Americanised HX3 will form the basis of the offer that the American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense team will make to the US Army in the first phase of the CTT programme. Thanks to its open architecture, the basic HX3 vehicle will allow for continuous modernisation and capability growth as technology evolves. This will both reduce obsolescence issues and lower overall life cycle costs.
The companies’ joint statement highlights the following features of the HX3 Common Tactical Truck (HX3-CTT)platform:
- interchangeable protected cab design
- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
- Drive-by-wire operation
- Open systems electrical architecture (allowing integration of leader-follower and autonomous capabilities)
The HX3 family is offered in axle configurations ranging from 4×4 to 10×10. It has a high level of commonality and modularity across variants, which can include:
- cargo
- load handling systems
- tankers
- line haul tractors
GWH
