Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks is expanding its product range and will in future be offering the Zetros truck series with a protected driver’s cab ex works. The three-axle, all-wheel-drive Zetros (6×6) is now available as a protected complete vehicle, and other vehicle variants in the series – from the two-axle 4×4 to the four-axle 8×8 – can be successively produced with protection at the Wörth truck plant from 2025.
The Zetros 6×6 with protected cab will be shown for the first time at Eurosatory in Paris (June 17 to 21).
Armored off-road vehicles from a single source
The protected driver’s cab offers the crew protection against gunfire, mines and booby traps without impairing the vehicle’s off-road capability. Until now, the vehicles produced were generally fitted with an armored driver’s cab by partner companies before delivery to customers. From now on, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks will fit the protected cab to the 2nd generation Zetros itself. Development partner and supplier of the cab is Rheinmetall. https://militaeraktuell.at/20-weitere-eurofighter-fuer-die-deutsche-luftwaffe/ As the special vehicle division of truck manufacturer Daimler Truck, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has large production capacities. According to the company, the availability of service and spare parts is also guaranteed for a long time. Depending on the order, however, it may still be necessary to work with bodybuilders/OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for protected variants.
Cab armoring on all vehicles in the Zetros series
In future, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks intends to offer the entire Zetros product range from 4×4 to 8×8 with a protected cab ex works. As a hooded vehicle, the truck for military logistics and support tasks offers a structural concept advantage for protected cabs, as the cab is located behind the front axle, which means that the weight of the cab does not rest entirely on the front axle, but is also distributed proportionally over the rear axle(s). The front axle is therefore not overloaded even by the solid armoring and heavy impacts in rough terrain. https://militaeraktuell.at/erfolgreicher-motortag-am-salzburgring/ The protected cab has space for up to three people, and the one-piece windscreen provides a wide field of vision. Furthermore, variable attachment points on the cab can be used for additional equipment elements. During production, care is taken to use as many identical components as possible for the protected cab and the unprotected version in order to facilitate the availability of spare parts and repairs, as well as to increase interchangeability in mixed fleets. The hood, which can be opened independently of the cab, also provides access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair work, while the cab remains a protected space and does not have to be tilted completely forward as in conventional trucks. The permissible gross weight varies between 16.5 and 40 tons depending on the variant. With a gross combination weight of up to 120 tons as a tractor unit and numerous body solutions, the Zetros is suitable for a wide range of transport tasks.
