Mack Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack Trucks, announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Army ordered 99 Mack Defense M917A3 non-armored Heavy Dump Trucks (HDT) as part of the previously announced contract that could be worth up to $296.4 million over seven years between the U.S. Department of Defense and Mack Defense.
“This order signifies the successful testing of non-armored and armored vehicles that we conducted in 2018 and 2019,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “We are proud that Mack Defense was chosen to fulfill the needs of the U.S. Army and support our armed forces.”
Based on the civilian Mack Granite model, one of the top-selling vocational trucks in North America, the HDTs will be delivered to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserve. The M917A3 HDT was spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other features to meet the U.S. Army needs.
The U.S. Army signed the agreement Nov. 30, 2020 to purchase the Mack Granite-based HDT’s after Mack Defense completed two years of successful testing by the Army of 12 vehicles at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland in accordance with the contract program timeline, according to John Larkin, HDT program manager for Mack Defense.
Initial deliveries of the Mack Defense M917A3 HDT will begin in May 2021.
The new HDTs will help increase the U.S. Army’s operational effectiveness and readiness, while supporting mobility, counter-mobility, survivability and sustainment operations for the Joint Force.