At the end of January, the Swedish procurement authority FMV handed over the first new heavy-duty tractor unit for armored transport on a Scania chassis to the armed forces. Series production is now starting – an important step towards restoring the long-neglected transport capacity for heavy combat vehicles.
“We are delivering a total of 125 heavy-duty tractor units to the armed forces, at a rate of two vehicles per week. Full delivery is scheduled for January 2027,” explains project manager Thomas Larsson.
The new vehicles have air suspension, disc brakes and modern driver assistance systems. Around half of the tractor units will also be equipped with a powerful cable winch to be able to pick up damaged tanks. Compared to the predecessor models from the late 1990s, the new heavy-duty transporters offer greater robustness, greater range, a higher average speed and significantly improved operating comfort.
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A key innovation is the crew cabin with four doors: it offers space for a full four-man tank crew including equipment. The separate driver’s cab – a so-called R-cab – offers space for two truck drivers, who can also spend the night in it, as system engineer Ulf Hjelmberg explains.
The first users are the soldiers of the Südskåne regiment, who have already taken delivery of the first vehicles. The I19 in Boden and then the Skaraborg P4 regiment will follow next.
Here for more current news about the Swedish armed forces.
