Rheinmetall celebrates conclusion of truck deliveries under Australia’s Land 121 Phase 3B/5B
Peter Felstead
Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia (RMMVA) has successfully concluded delivering an HX vehicle fleet to the Australian Army under the Land 121 Phase 3B/5B programme. A final acceptance ceremony took place at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicles Center of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Queensland on 20 February 2025.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) procured its fleet of logistics vehicles based on RMMV’s proven HX truck series as part of the Land 121 project. Over 3,500 vehicles were delivered on time and within budget and made RMMVA the largest supplier of military logistics vehicles for the Australian Army, Rheinmetall noted.
The final acceptance ceremony marked the successful completion of a procurement programme that lasted just over 10 years. A total of 3,580 medium and heavy military logistics trucks and 3,165 modules and protected cabs have been delivered. The ADF’s HX trucks were built in Vienna, Austria, by RMMV while final assembly of the Australian fleet was undertaken at Rheinmetall Defence Australia in southeast Queensland.
The Australian HX fleet includes recovery vehicles, transporters, self-loading hook-lift trucks, fuel trucks, tractors and tipper trucks. Testing and verification was carried out at the Australian Automotive Research Centre near Anglesea in Victoria.
“The HX truck is the workhorse of the Australian Army and provides the Australian Defence Force with outstanding capabilities,” Michael Wittlinger, chief of staff of Rheinmetall AG and chairman of the supervisory board of RMMVA, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The entire workforce of Rheinmetall Defence Australia and Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia is grateful to have successfully completed the project together with the Commonwealth of Australia.
“The first HX trucks procured under the Land 121 Phase 3B/5B programme entered service more than 10 years ago,” he added. “Since then, the HX truck has proven to be a mainstay for the Australian supply force.”
With the procurement process complete, Rheinmetall is transitioning to support and sustain the HX fleet using a national network of partners and suppliers.
RMMV’s HX series trucks are military-off-the-shelf vehicles powered by a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine. Their maximum weight can be up to 41 tonnes. The vehicles can operate in temperatures ranging from -32° C to +49° C and can ford water depths of more than 1.5 m.
