Record order for Rheinmetall: Bundeswehr orders up to 6,500 military trucks – valued at up to 3.5 billion euros

July 1, 2024 – Rheinmetall has received the largest order for logistics vehicles in its company history from the German Armed Forces. The framework agreement, which has now been signed in Koblenz, covers the delivery of up to 6,500 military trucks with a total value of up to 3.5 billion euros including VAT.

After the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the financing on June 26, 2024, the contract with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) was signed on July 1, 2024 by the President of the BAAINBw, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and the management of RMMV. A first call for 610 vehicles valued at EUR 312 million including VAT is imminent, of which 250 trucks are to be delivered in 2024. This call will be financed primarily from the Bundeswehr’s special funds. Rheinmetall AG will book the order in the third quarter of 2024 of the current fiscal year.

This framework agreement enables the German Armed Forces to flexibly order additional quantities of the already introduced unprotected transport vehicles UTF 5t and UTF 15t trucks for seven years. In addition, the framework agreement introduces a new vehicle category: the 4×4 UTF 3.5t. It has a high number of identical parts to the UTF family.

“The framework agreement is a significant contribution to the rapid coverage of the needs of the Bundeswehr’s logistics forces,” explains Michael Wittlinger, CEO of Rheinmetall Military Vehicles GmbH. “The standardized vehicle family and the uniformity with vehicles from other recipient nations establish the HX vehicles as central logistics vehicles within NATO and set a benchmark for interoperability and logistical efficiency within the alliance. This order once again underlines our leading role on the global market for logistics vehicles.”

“The extremely short period of four months from the tender to the signing of the contract underlines once again that the turning point in the procurement of logistics trucks has been reached,” says Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG. “We would like to thank you for your trust in Rheinmetall products.”

The Unprotected Transport Vehicle (UTF) family already makes a significant contribution to the performance of the Bundeswehr’s logistics units. In July 2017, the Bundeswehr commissioned Rheinmetall MAN to supply the new “UTF Military Off-Road Vehicle with 5t and 15t load capacity classes” family. The UTF is a showcase project that opens up new avenues, particularly in procurement. For the first time, flexible framework agreements with large quantities could be concluded. Since 2017, over 6,000 HX vehicles have been delivered to the Bundeswehr together with swap body systems (WLS) and 70t tractor units by the end of 2024. A large part of the added value in WLS and UTF – over 75 percent – is generated in Germany.

UTF and WLS are based on the robust HX family from RMMV. It was designed for military use from the outset and is characterized by high mobility even in difficult terrain. The worldwide distribution of the HX vehicle family offers great advantages in terms of interoperability and logistics, especially with regard to multinational missions. In addition to Germany, the user group currently includes Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Singapore, Slovenia, Denmark and Ukraine. The newly awarded order underlines the high level of acceptance of the proven HX vehicles, of which around 20,000 are already in use worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Rheinmetall