DAF Trucks today delivered the first military vehicles out of a total of 879 trucks to the Belgian Armed Forces. Major General Thierry Esser and Lieutenant General Frédéric Goetynck received the keys from the President of DAF Trucks, Harald Seidel. The handover took place in DAF’s Axle and Cab Factory in Westerlo, Belgium.
The order from the Belgian Armed Forces comprises 636 2-axle trucks with a 4×4 driveline for general transportation purposes and 243 4-axle trucks with an 8×8 driveline for specific applications (tipping, container transport and tasks where cranes are needed).
Forty percent of the vehicles are fitted with armoured cabs, which provide a high level of protection for occupants during military operations.
Preparations for the delivery of the first 150 heavy vehicles to the Belgian Army (Motorised Brigade and Special Operations Regiment) and the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces are well underway.
Unrivalled off-road performance
DAF is working closely with Czech vehicle manufacturer TATRA TRUCKS on the CF Military trucks. These trucks have a unique chassis design with anall-wheel drive driveline and a central, load-bearing tube with independent wheel suspension. The independent suspension, the unique TATRA chassis and the Central Tyre Inflation System ensure unrivalled off-road performance and exceptionally comfortable driving, even in the most challenging terrain.
The trucks are powered by a 10.8-litre PACCAR MX-11 (4×4) or a 12.9-litre PACCAR MX-13 (8×8) engine, with an output of 300 kW/410 hp and 340 kW/460 hp respectively. The reduced height is another major asset of the CF Military truck. The total vehicle height never exceeds four metres, even when transporting 20-foot shipping containers.
Cabins “Made in Belgium”
The non-armoured cabins for CF Military trucks are produced from start to finish at the DAF factory in Westerlo. The interiors for the state-of-the-art shielded cabins, which are supplied by TATRA DEFENCE VEHICLES, are also produced in Westerlo. The controls are the same in both types of cabs, allowing drivers to easily switch from one type of vehicle to another.
Worldwide maintenance
DAF will work in close collaboration with the Belgian Armed Forces to provide maintenance for the CF Military trucks. The Belgian DAF dealer network will play a crucial role, with designated support centres in Houthalen and Grâce-Hollogne. As for maintenance outside of the Belgian borders, the DAF dealer network with more than 1,100 locations is available worldwide, as is the unrivalled DAF International Truck Service support team. The DAF dealer organisation can count on the support of PACCAR Parts for excellent parts availability.
“A big step forwards”
Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defence explains: “Well-developed logistical and transport capabilities are essential to the success of military operations. The introduction of these new transport vehicles is another big step forwards for the Armed Forces”
“These new vehicles are suitable for operations in any setting and are also literally vital for our military personnel, who risk their lives every day for our safety. No less than 40% of these vehicles are armoured and provide vital protection for our personnel when in action. If necessary, the other vehicles can also be fitted with the same type of armouring to ensure that our personnel are kept safe.”
“I am of course very pleased that a large proportion of the production will also take place in Belgium. By working with Belgian companies towards our strategic autonomy and the safety of our military personnel, we are in fact strengthening not only our Armed Forces, but the whole country too.”
“Count on your equipment”
“An army must be able to count on its equipment under the most demanding and difficult circumstances”, says Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks. “We are therefore extremely proud that the Belgian Army has chosen the reliability and unrivalled qualities of our CF Military trucks. The versatility of our vehicles goes to show that DAF also offers excellent transport solutions for all military purposes.”
“Reliable equipment and the safety of our personnel are of the utmost importance”, stresses Lieutenant General Frédéric Goetynck, Director-General of the DGMR (Directorate General Material Resources). “We needed to replace our 30-year-old non-armoured trucks with armoured vehicles to ensure the safety of personnel during missions with vehicles that have powerful all-terrain capabilities within their category.”
SOURCE: DAF
