More than 200 support trucks bought under a rapid procurement process are now in the hands of the British Army and are being used on vital training exercises, with more to follow.

The multipurpose Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle trucks have been designed to allow troops to transport essentials such as ammunition, food, water and support materiel to operational locations.

A total of 500 vehicles were bought under a £282 million contract which was awarded to mission partners Rheinmetall by Defence Equipment & Support, with support from Army Headquarters and the Field Army, in just seven months.

Fielding started last year and in less than six months after contract award, 217 vehicles have now been delivered and are being used by soldiers from Abington-based 7 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, who are currently on deployment in Wales on exercise TIGER IGNITE.

Major George Holdcroft MBE, one of the Squadron Commanders in the regiment, said:

“The scale and pace of the acquisition and fielding of the vehicles has been truly impressive and troops who have been putting them through their paces on road and off road have found the vehicle to be highly capable.

“They have been impressed by the increased power and responsiveness of the trucks and the drivers have also been impressed by the first-class cameras to improve visibility.”

 Alice Whitehouse, who project managed the procurement for DE&S, said:

“This rapid acquisition was a whirlwind of a project to deliver capability to the Army under much more condensed timelines than a traditional programme. Without the commitment of all in the team we couldn’t have achieved what we have.”

The MAN vehicles are part of the HX family a cost-effective mobility truck class, integrating military off-the-shelf components. Purposefully designed to bolster military operations, the HX vehicles offer high mobility and reliability in challenging terrains and are equipped with a multitude of protection capabilities, keeping UK Defence’s most important asset – our people – safe.

Lt Colonel Neil Swift, Army Headquarters (Logistics) Programme Manager, said:

“We are delighted to have led this collaborative effort with our colleagues at DE&S, Rheinmetall and the Field Army to deliver essential equipment to our solider which will immediately have a tangible impact on modernising our Armed Forces and increasing lethality.”

On current plans the remaining vehicles will be delivered by this autumn, when all vehicles will be formally accepted by the Army, boosting operational and readiness support.