Mack Defense Supplies Mack Granite to Begin U.S. Army Vehicle Testing Phase of Common Tactical Truck (CTT) Program

ALLENTOWN, PA (Feb. 20, 2024) – Mack Defense recently delivered three Common Tactical Truck (CTT) prototype vehicles to the U.S. Army for testing and soldier evaluations to determine final requirements to modernize and replace the Army’s fleet of 35,000 heavy tactical trucks.

The prototype vehicles, based on the commercially available Mack^® Granite^® model, include an on-road tractor, off-road tractor, and a load-handling system truck. The three vehicles will be evaluated for up to one year at the Army’s Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland. Designs for a cargo truck with material handling crane, a wrecker/recovery truck and tanker truck were also provided to the Army as part of the CTT program.

Mack Defense leveraged the global value chain of its parent company, the Volvo Group, to incorporate the latest design features, technologies and processes developed over decades of large-scale commercial production and life-cycle sustainment. The prototype vehicles were modified to meet the Army’s requirement of a modern, scalable commercial-based platform with advanced safety technologies, increased off-road mobility, advanced cybersecurity, open systems architecture, and improved fuel efficiency. Future autonomous vehicle capabilities and electrification technologies were incorporated into the design of the prototype vehicles to ensure the Army can integrate future technological advancements into the next generation of tactical vehicles.

“The Mack Defense team leveraged our expertise in large-scale global production and industry-leading technology to develop, engineer and build these next-generation trucks,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “We are confident the new technology and system upgrades will ensure the Army’s warfighter vehicles are the safest, most affordable and fuel efficient tactical wheeled vehicles in the world.”

The prototype vehicles feature enhanced powertrains and idle-free systems, reducing the demand for energy. Integrated drive-by-wire systems facilitate advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving capabilities, while a new suspension design increases mobility and speed when navigating rough terrain. The trucks include predictive maintenance technology aimed at improving vehicle uptime and reducing unplanned stops, while enhancing driver safety.

“The Mack Defense CTT prototypes bring a high level of commonality across all variants,” said Jack Terefinko, Mack Defense CTT program manager. “Commonality was an integral part of achieving the goals set forth by the Army to greatly reduce life-cycle sustainment costs.”

As part of Phase One testing, the Army will evaluate the performance and durability of the protype trucks on highways, secondary roads, and severe duty cross-country operations. Assessments will include “soldier touch points,” a process where active Army soldiers operate the vehicles and provide feedback on all aspects of the vehicle’s performance, drivability, comfort, and ergonomics.

The U.S. Army maintains one of the largest rolling truck fleets in the world, with more than 300K vehicles. Upon testing completion in 2025, the Army will launch a separate competition, which will lead to the production contract for the modernization of the Common Tactical fleet of 7,000 vehicles valued at more than $5 billion.

Mack Defense is currently executing two significant defense programs utilizing adapted commercial-based vehicles sourced from the extensive Volvo Group network.

Mack Defense was awarded the contract to produce the U.S. Army’s M917A3 Heavy Duty Dump Truck (HDT), based on the Mack Granite model. Production began in 2021 and continues today in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Renault Kerax 8x8 truck was selected by Mack Defense to create five different logistics support vehicle platforms for the Canadian Military. The Canadian Medium Support Vehicle System – Standard Military Pattern (MSVS-SMP) program brought expertise together from the U.S., Canada, and France to deliver 1,587 vehicles during a five-year production contract from June 2015 to June 2020. The program is currently in the ninth year of an ongoing sustainment contract for the MSVS, which includes parts, field service, maintenance, and repair.

CAPTION: Mack Defense supplies Mack Granite to begin U.S. Army vehicle testing phase of Common Tactical Truck program.The CTT program is designed to find a replacement for the U.S. Army’s fleet of heavy-duty tactical trucks.