Mack Defense LLC of Allentown, PA won the bid to supply the Canadian military with 1500 8X8 Standard Military Pattern trucks, 300 trailers and armoured protection kits in a $843 mn deal announced last week.
The trucks will be assembled in Quebec, creating 700 jobs before the expected 2017-2018 delivery and a five year, extentable in-service support program thereafter.
Many expected Oshkosh would get the job using a variant of their HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Military Tactical Truck) which is used by the US. (There may have been other bidders too, including BAE, Daimler, Navistar, Renault and MAN).
The much delayed program to replace 1980s era Canadian trucks, called the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS), built by Bombardier, started in 2006 but was canned a couple of times due to budget constraints and political timing.
So what will the new trucks look like?
(Armoured cabin version shown)
There will be several versions, including cargo, cargo with crane, load handling system (shown above), mobile repair, and gun tractor. Plus up to 150 can be fitted with the add-on armour kits.
Mack is owned by Volvo nowadays, but has managed to retain much of its engineering in house. However the Volvo bus subsidiary, Prevost Car, will assemble the trucks at its Ste-Claire, QC factory, southeast of Quebec City.
Other companies involved are Dumur Industries, of Saskatoon (armour), EODC Inc of Ottawa, part of IBD Deisenroth (armour), and Raydan of Edmonton (Link Suspension, twin steers, etc.,)
And yes, the will carry the bulldog on the front hood.
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