The unsuccessful "Punitive Expedition" to catch "Pancho" Villa brought the US Army into the automotive age with the adoption of 1915 GMC model 15, three-quarter-ton trucks. The civilian GMC Model 16 was purchases as the "Class AA military truck" for the duration of World War I.
In 1939-1940 the US Army Ordnance Corps was developing 2+1⁄2 short tons (2,300 kg) load-rated 6×6 tactical trucks that could operate off-road in all weather. In 1940 General Motors, was supplying the US Army with modified commercial VEHICLE designated 1939 6×4 CCKW. The Army used General Motors design as the basis of the venerable Deuce and a half.
The ACK-353 (A for 1939 design, C for conventional cab, and K for all wheel drive) 1+1⁄2-ton 4×4 truck was the smaller brother of the 6×4 CCKW. called the Weapons carrier.
Another example was the 1 and a quarter ton AKA "Five quarter (ton)", was a Military version based on the Jeep Gladiator pickup became the M715 and M725, of the late '60's.
4 teams tasked with building Army Common Tactical Truck prototypes
The service plans to host another “open” competition before crowning a winner for this multi-billion-dollar contract in 2026.
By Ashley Roque on January 30, 2023 at 9:55 AM
WASHINGTON — The Army has selected four teams to participate in the prototyping phase for its coveted $5.1 billion Common Tactical Truck (CTT) contract, but there will be a window for other competitors to jump in before a production contract is awarded, according to the service.
On Jan. 27, the service announced that Mack Defense, Navistar Defense, Oshkosh Defense, and the American Rheinmetall Vehicles/GM Defense team have received Other Transaction Authority agreements “totaling” $24.25 million for the CTT initiative. Each team is now tasked with delivering three CTT prototypes — a M915 Line Haul Tractor and M1088 Medium Tractor, a Palletized Load System (PLS) and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT).
“This approach allows the Army to modernize at the pace of industry, integrating new technologies as they are developed,” Wolfgang Petermann, the project manager for transportation systems with the Program Executive Office Combat Support & Combat Service (PEO CS&CSS) said in a press release. “Additionally, commonality in the CTT family of vehicles will enable open modular designs and interchangeable repair parts across the fleet, resulting in streamlined supply chains and reduced total lifecycle costs.”
See how we're Defining Possible in every domain.
Companies submitted their CTT competition proposals last year based, in part, on their commercially available trucks and technologies with the goal of providing the Army with a vehicle that could “address the increasing age” of its Heavy Tactical Vehicle fleet with a single line of vehicles. Although the service is only asking for the four teams to produce the three prototype variants — the on-road tractor, off-road tractor, and load handling system — they will also provide digital designs of tanker and cargo variants and a wrecker design study, Alvin Bing, the product lead for the program, explained in an August email. He noted that this study is aimed at helping the Army decide if industry is able to build the wrecker variant.
As for the schedule, each team has just over seven months to deliver its three prototypes to the service. Then in 2024, the service will begin evaluating them at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, according to Bing.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense Team to Pursue U.S. Army's Common Tactical Truck Program
August 17, 2022·6 min read
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE?
WASHINGTON and STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Rheinmetall Vehicles, a leading developer of tactical wheeled and tracked combat vehicles and systems has formed a strategic collaboration with GM Defense LLC, to compete in the U.S. Army's Common Tactical Truck (CTT) program. The CTT program seeks to identify a replacement platform for the Army's Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense are offering the U.S. Army the HX3-CTT, a derivative of the HX3 (pictured), in response to the first phase of the Army’s Common Tactical Truck program.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense are offering the U.S. Army the HX3-CTT, a derivative of the HX3 (pictured), in response to the first phase of the Army’s Common Tactical Truck program.
The Army expects to execute multiple Prototype Projects before determining whether to proceed to initial production that could entail purchase of approximately 5,700 vehicles at a value of around $5 billion. A Request for Prototype Proposals for the first phase was issued in late June with an expected Contract Award in December 2022.
Rheinmetall, with its subsidiary Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV), is a global leader in tactical military truck development and manufacturing. The Group's HX family of trucks have been sold to 20 customers globally including an active Allied user group consisting of Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Austria, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Rheinmetall recently unveiled its HX3, next-generation series of truck with advances in power, mobility, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and an open systems architecture with pathways to hybrid technology incorporation, leader follower driving, and autonomous operations. The militarized HX3 series incorporates substantial commercial technologies reflecting Rheinmetall's joint venture with MAN Truck & Bus which streamlines logistics and sustainment burdens and provides benefits in vehicle upgrades. An Americanized HX3 forms the basis of what the American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense team will offer the Army in the first phase of the CTT program. Combined with an open architecture, the commercial backbone of the HX3 will support persistent modernization and allow for increases in capability as technologies mature. This will reduce obsolescence issues and overall lifecycle costs.
GM Defense is a rapidly expanding, wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors — one of the largest automotive producers in the world, delivering 2.2 million vehicles in 2021 alone, and remains the largest commercial provider of military vehicles in history. As GM's purpose-built government-facing entity, GM Defense will bring its formidable manufacturing capabilities and technological excellence to the CTT team, leveraging GM's innovation and portfolio of commercial technologies to advance customer capabilities. Having been selected to deliver the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) to the Army under an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract, GM Defense understands rapid prototyping, agile design and engineering, and rapid delivery.
The CTT Program is a rapid prototyping effort that uses a middle tier acquisition strategy and OTAs to enable the Army to quickly procure and test tactical truck prototypes to replace its family of heavy tactical trucks. The Army is seeking a modern platform featuring advanced driver safety systems, increased off-road mobility, cybersecurity, machine learning, artificial intelligence, improved survivability, and fuel efficiency among other emerging technologies. The program will enable the Army to replace legacy vehicles like the Palletized Load System (PLS), Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), M915 Line Haul Tractor, and other platforms in the current heavy and medium tactical wheeled fleet. A truck with maximum commercial elements, able to perform military missions, and that can bring commonality among mission roles are top priorities for the Army in the program.
"American Rheinmetall Vehicles is a committed partner to the Army, bringing next-generation capability, technology and competition to high priority Army modernization programs like CTT. GM Defense shares our commitment, and together our team will provide a transformational truck to support the Army and its Soldiers," said Matthew Warnick, managing director for American Rheinmetall Vehicles. "General Motors has a century of experience supporting the Department of Defense with a remarkable heritage in design, engineering and manufacturing. GM Defense continues that heritage with the ability to rapidly develop and deploy advanced technologies, bringing an important capability to the American Rheinmetall Vehicles team and our exceptional CTT offering."
"On the heels of successfully delivering the ISV to our Army customer, GM Defense is excited to join American Rheinmetall Vehicles on the CTT program to deliver another exceptional mobility solution for our Soldiers," said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. "This strategic collaboration enables GM Defense to continue showcasing our advanced capabilities, leveraging GM's innovation and proven commercial technology. With American Rheinmetall Vehicles' HX3 as the starting point, I'm confident that together we will deliver a winning solution that meets or exceeds the Army's requirements and provides a platform for growth and technology insertion to support our warfighters well into the future."
HX3 Common Tactical Truck (HX3-CTT)
Technology for the future: The HX3-CTT features an advanced, interchangeable protected cab design, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and drive by wire operation. The new open systems electrical architecture allows rapid integration of leader follower and autonomous capabilities that focus on protecting our most valuable combat asset – the Soldier.
Common Platforms and parts to support a family of vehicles: The HX3-CTT is the new, next-gen variant of the globally successful HX family of military-off-the-shelf tactical trucks. It possesses an extremely high level of commonality and modularity across variants: cargo, load handling systems, tankers, and line haul tractors. With an HX family that can scale from 4x4 to 10x10, the HX can meet any military need.
Commerciality in its DNA: The HX3-CTT leverages best-in-class advances in commercial truck technology, safety, fuel efficiency, and emissions reduction. Ruggedized for the stresses of military service, the HX family provides an "off the shelf" capability. This commercial backbone reduces obsolescence risk/cost, expands parts availability, and reduces sustainment demands.
Allied Interoperability: The HX family of trucks have been sold to 20 customers globally including an active Allied user group consisting of Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Austria, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, creating common global supply chains, training opportunities, and integrated operations among key allies operating around the world.
