19 September 2012
Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles’ HX Family at AAD 2012
Highly mobile – multi mission capable – battle-proven
No logistics, no tactics: now more than ever, today’s fast-moving armies need to be
sure that their supplies keep rolling too. Contemporary asymmetric conflicts lack
clearly defined front lines, confronting commanders and manufacturers of modern
transport, command and multi-mission vehicles with new requirements regarding
mobility, robustness, functionality, survivability and lethality. The systems of the HX
family, made by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV), number among the
most cost-effective and operationally proven in their class.
At AAD 2012 held at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria RMMV is displaying
several different configurations from its pure military logistical HX series of vehicles.
These include the HX60 (4x4), the HX58 (6x6) and the HX77 (8x8).
A match for modern mission scenarios
All HX vehicles are “military off the shelf” (MOTS) products specially developed for
military applications. Their main priority is extreme mobility and reliability even in the
harshest terrain.
Unlike many other comparable vehicles, the HX family is made up entirely of off-the-
shelf (OTS) components. It combines tried-and-tested components from major
commercial vehicle series – such as the low-torsion ladder frame from MAN’s civilian
TG line of vehicles – with technology specially designed to meet the needs of the
military, such as advanced leaf spring suspension, extreme fording capabilities and
multi-fuel engines. Right from the start, these trucks are designed not merely for
greater durability, payload capacity and on- and off-road mobility, but also to operate
at temperatures ranging from -32 to +49° C. Moreover, they can be equipped with
protective modules and/or weapon stations for self-defence without major
modification.
As a MOTS product family, RMMV’s HX vehicles not only feature outstanding
mobility, protection and reliability, they also display maximum modularity and
interoperability. Systematic, system-oriented thinking is evident throughout.
This results in total ease of use as well as streamlined logistics and maintenance,
since many components and assemblies of the vehicle family are centrally produced
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and fully interchangeable. In the UK, the net effect has been to reduce a previous
logistic vehicle parts inventory stock of 30,000 lines to less than 7,000.
Operation of the vehicles is largely identical. The same applies to maintenance and
repair of the vehicles, engines and drive trains. This produces considerable synergy
effects when it comes to training crews and mechanics as well as substantially
simplifying logistics for the entire fleet of vehicles.
The multi-fuel capability and excellent supply arrangements (all maintenance
significant spare parts are NATO codified) are further important features of the HX
family, which Germany’s Rheinmetall Group – one of the oldest and most trusted
names in the global defence industry – is presenting at the AAD exhibition 2012 in
Pretoria, along with a wide array of other products and technologies designed for
today’s expeditionary focussed armed forces.
If required, all of these vehicles can be either equipped with a modular armoured
cabin (MAC) or a fully integrated armour cabin to meet the highest STANAG or Mil-
Standard specifications with regard to ballistic and mine protection. Installation of the
MAC takes only six to eight hours, and can be performed by two trained technicians
with the help of a forklift.
The 4x4 class: HX 60
In the 4x4 class, RMMV’s answer is the HX60. The vehicle is powered by a water-
cooled 6-cylinder MAN D0836 diesel engine with direct fuel injection and output of
240 kW or 326 hp. If absolutely identical parts and total interoperability are required,
the larger D2066 engine from the 6x6 or 8x8 is available as an alternative. Measuring
7.44 metres in length, the standard version of the vehicle is extremely mobile in all
types of terrain. Capable of attaining a top speed of more than 90 km/h, it features
60% gradeability and a step climbing capability of half a metre. Furthermore, it can
cross 1.20-wide ditches and has a 0.75 metre fording capability, which can be
increased to 1.50 metres in accordance with customer requirements. Its total
authorized gross vehicle weight is 18 tons, with a military payload of six tons.
Among others Rheinmetall has designed a troop carrier version of this vehicle. Along
with a three-man crew, it can seat twenty infantrymen back-to-back, assuring
optimum observation and engagement of enemy targets. Furthermore, the vehicle
can be equipped with dropsides at the rear and to the sides.
The 6x6 class: HX 58
The HX 58 is powered by a 6-cylinder MAN D2066 diesel engine with direct fuel
injection. With a cubic capacity of 10,518 cm³, its output comes to 324 kW (440 hp).
Measuring 8.68 metres in length, the vehicle attains top speeds in excess of 90 km/h.
Its superb off-road manoeuvrability corresponds to the HX 60. The vehicle’s
maximum permissible weight is 27.5 tons, with a military payload of nine tons. This
makes the HX 58 a universal, highly mobile transport vehicle. Like all RMMV
vehicles, the HX 58 is also available with a modular armour cabin (MAC) or
integrated armour cabin (IAC) for maximum Class 3 ballistic protection and Class 3b
anti-mine protection in accordance with NATO STANAG 4569.
The 8x8 class: HX 77 and HX 81
The HX 77 has the same MAN D2066 powerpack as the HX 58. The IAC meets
NATO STANAG 4569 criteria, providing the crew with excellent protection from
ballistic threats, landmines and IEDs. In terms of mobility, it exceeds all other vehicle
classes, and is capable of crossing trenches up to 2.40 metres in width.
The vehicle is 10.27 metres long and has a maximum authorized weight of 40 tons,
with a military payload of 15 tons. Thanks to its container handling unit (CHU) and/or
hook lift system, the HX 77 is the perfect armoured transport vehicle for carrying 20
ft. ISO containers or flats, which today form the backbone of military and civilian
logistics.
The HX 81 is powered by an MAN D2868 8-cylinder diesel engine with direct fuel
injection. With cubic capacity of 16,160 cm³, the engine has a 500 kW (680 hp)
output. In terms of off-road mobility, the HX 81 essentially matches the performance
of the HX 77. The vehicle is designed to serve either as a semi-trailer or tank
transporter; it has a maximum authorized gross train weight of 130 tons. This means
that it can in combination with a suitable trailer carry modern main battle tanks across
rough terrain.
Deployed around the world for decades and battle proven
The origins of the X family lie in the 1970s, when the German Bundeswehr procured
a follow-on generation of trucks. Deployed during the Cold War and steadily
perfected, several thousand of these transport and mission-specific vehicles are still
in regular service with the German Bundeswehr to this day – a mere fraction of the
more than 60,000 X systems now operated by over fifty nations worldwide. All along,
the X family has kept pace with the changing requirements of the Bundeswehr,
accompanying its transition from territorial defence army to strategic intervention
force. In Somalia, the Balkans and Afghanistan, the high-mobility “mil gl” truck
category – Bundeswehr shorthand for “military, all terrain” – forms the backbone of
German Army tactical logistics.
The military-off-the-shelf concept of the HX family remains as compelling as ever.
As such they are the logistical backbone of numerous armies in the world, where
they are put to the test in thousands on a daily basis.
In 2007 the British armed forces began receiving the first of over 7,000 HX family
vehicles, including 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 versions. These transport, tanker and recovery
vehicles are replacing the old Leyland and Bedford trucks as well as the Foden
recovery vehicles, which the SX 45 (8x8) vehicle family is superseding.
Her Majesty’s Armed Forces have been deploying HX and SX vehicle families in
Afghanistan and previously Iraq since early 2008. The response from all levels has
been extremely positive.
During Operation Herrick 9 in February 2009 in Afghanistan, the new Support Vehicle
(Recovery) successfully went into action for the first time, recovering a severely
damaged Warrior 514 armoured fighting vehicle, towing it 75 kilometres over 18
hours through enemy dominated territory performing very impressively throughout.
In the words of one Warrant Officer Class 2: “For the first time in my career I have a
protected vehicle with a radio that actually works and electronic countermeasures
against remotely detonated improvised explosive devices. We were even able to tow
several damaged vehicles in a convoy – at times even two casualties behind every
recovery vehicle – 150 km across the desert with no problem.”
The British are equally enthusiastic about the HX77 8x8 Enhanced Pallet Loading
System (EPLS), which the UK procured in response to an Urgent Operational
Requirement. Unlike the previously deployed Leyland and Foden Demountable Rack
Offload & Pickup System (DROPS), this protected vehicle can handle traditional
flatracks or lift a 20-foot ISO container weighing up to 15 tons in just minutes thanks
to its Container Handling Unit (CHU).
As the commander of a British logistics brigade puts it, “The EPLS represents a
significant advance in our capabilities, combining unsurpassed protection for our
supply troops with the high mobility that’s vital in modern military operations.”
RMMV – outstanding systems and service from a single source
As one of the world’s leading suppliers of defence technology systems, Rheinmetall
supplies the modern military with a comprehensive array of readily available modular
products.
At the beginning of 2010 Rheinmetall and MAN Nutzfahrzeuge joined forces to found
RMMV. Drawing on their respective core competencies in automotive engineering
and military technology, these two long-established companies have created a
globally operating supplier of wheeled military vehicles. RMMV produces a complete
range of protected and unprotected transport, command and mission-specific
vehicles for the world’s armed forces. Moreover, RMMV supplies not only systems,
but also service from a single source. From 1st to 4th level support, everything is
possible, including on-site repair and maintenance in-theatre.
In an age when new security challenges can literally arise overnight, this assures
maximum flexibility and peace of mind.
At stand 3SE/3SW1 in the Outdoor Space Hangar 3, RMMV vehicles can be
experienced live.
For more information, please contact:
Oliver Hoffmann
Head of Public Relations
Rheinmetall AG
Tel.: +49-(0)211-473 4748
[email protected]
