Industry competitors line up for next phase of Army’s Common Tactical Truck program

GVSETS 2025 — The vendors involved in the US Army Common Tactical Truck initiative are eagerly awaiting the program’s final request for proposals, touting advances and modifications they’ve said will meet the Army’s future hauling needs.

“We are really waiting for the new requirements specifications to come out. That will tell us where we need to adjust,” David Shuler, Program Manager for the CTT at the American arm of German defense firm Rheinmetall, told Breaking Defense at the GVSETS 2025 Conference in Michigan last week.

Shuler said the company expects the final request for proposals for the program to come out in coming months. A spokesperson for the Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support was unable to provide details about the RFI’s timing to Breaking Defense as of press time.

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Meanwhile, speaking to Breaking Defense, a spokesperson for Mack Defense said that the company has introduced enhancements to ensure its platform is “mission ready for the next phase” as well as for the “Army’s evolving requirements.”

Pat Williams, Chief Programs Officer within Oshkosh Defense, told Breaking Defense the manufacturer has been enhancing the capabilities to offer the US Army capable, flexible logistics platforms while “monitoring next steps of the program closely.”

In 2023 the Army awarded Other Transaction Authorities agreements to American Rheinmetall, Mack Defense, Navistar Defense and Oshkosh Defense to develop load handling, off-road tractor and on-road line haul prototypes along with digital designs and studies.

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The Army envisions CTT as “an essential transportation link between strategic ports and the ‘Tip of the Spear’ providing Multi-Domain Operation forces with ability to deploy, move and maneuver where and when desired to accomplish the mission,” according to its website.

Under that rapid prototyping phase, the Army conducted multiple tests with the platforms provided by the four suppliers. The goal was to determine whether commercially based vehicles could meet military needs.

The trials were also intended to inform the definition and refining of requirements for the next phase of the program to replace the in-service fleets of the M915 Line Haul Tractor and M1088 Medium Tractor, Palletized Load System and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.

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In partnership with GM Defense, Rheinmetall offered its HX3 truck, which was on display at the GVSETS Conference in its load handling variant.

“We did about 11 months of testing. One of the things tested was fordability. Trucks needed to ford 48 inches of water, and all the things they asked our trucks to do, they did very well,” Shuler said.

The HX3is the third generation of Rheinmetall’s HX High Mobility family of vehicles, which is currently in the inventory of the armed forces of Australia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and Sweden.

Although the platforms involved in the CTT trials share a high degree of commonality with the HX3 version that is available in the market, Shuler said Rheinmetall implemented some modifications to better meet the Army’s needs.

“One of the requirements was having three seats: the main driver, the assistant driver and like a gunner seat in the middle,” Shuler said. “We got positive feedback on how it performed in terms of ride comfort.”

Oshkosh, in turn, provided platforms of its Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV). “While we cannot share specifics about the CTT testing, we are pleased with how testing concluded,” Williams said.

He added that the government conducted a closeout In-Process Review with Oshkosh in May, and the company was delighted with the test results and the soldier-centric feedback it received.  

Oshkosh FHTV was designed to conduct the Army’s large-haul missions. This family of vehicles consists of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, Palletized Load System, Palletized Load System Trailer and the Heavy Equipment Transporter.

According to Williams, the company has “continuously modernized the FHTV in partnership with the US Army, integrating advanced technologies to meet the needs of the Soldier.”

Meanwhile, Mack Defense supplied prototypes based on its commercially available Granite series of heavy-duty and severe service trucks. The vehicles were modified to meet the Army’s requirements by incorporating autonomous vehicle capabilities and electrification technologies.

“The Granite platform has performed very well in Army evaluations, demonstrating the durability, payload capacity, and adaptability required for the CTT mission set,” the company spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that “feedback from the Army has been positive — particularly around the Advanced Driver Assistance System Safety aspects, Support Equipment Interoperability, Ride Quality, Anti-Idle / Silent Watch, and Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services.”

According to the Mack Defense website, the prototypes also featured enhanced powertrain, autonomous driving capabilities and a new suspension design to increase mobility and speed in rough terrains.

Another feature is predictive maintenance technology aimed at improving vehicle uptime and reducing unplanned stops, while enhancing driver safety.

“As with any modernization program, requirements may continue to evolve. Mack Defense remains closely engaged with the Army to adapt our solution as needed, with a focus on soldier protection, fuel efficiency, and lifecycle cost savings,” the company’s spokesperson said.

Approached by Breaking Defense, Navistar Defense could not provide comments about the performance of its prototypes in the CTT testing. The company offered vehicles based on its ATLAS family of platforms, which have been designed to be scalable and modular. The company’s website says that those vehicles “can handle the full spectrum of mission roles, from long-range highway logistics to navigating severe off-road trails” by combining “proven common militarized platforms with advanced commercial technologies.”