The Egyptian military will be receiving truck tankers, recovery vehicles and heavy equipment transporters from Oshkosh Defence under a $26 million contract.
The United States Department of Defence on 26 May announced that Oshkosh Defence had been awarded a $26 067 335 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of M978A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Tankers (HEMTTs), M984A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Wreckers and M1070A1 Heavy Equipment Transporters.
Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of 31 January 2023. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Egypt) funds in the amount of $26 067 335 were obligated at the time of the award.
According to Oshkosh Defence, the 8×8 M978A4 fuel servicing truck, or tanker, is specifically designed to transport 2 500 gallons (9 464 l) of petrol, diesel or jet fuel to Forward-Arming and Refuelling Points (FARPs).
It is powered by a 500 horsepower Caterpillar C15 engine and features a fully climate-controlled, armour-ready cab. Curb weight is 19 tons.
The 8×8 M984A4 wrecker (recovery truck) is able to recover vehicles weighing in excess of ten tons (9 072 kg), even those mired in mud, sand, water or snow. It features a heavy-duty crane and winch retrieval system. The recovery winch is rated at 27 tons and the retrieval system at 11 tons while the crane can carry 6 tons at 2.74 metres. Oshkosh says the lift-and-tow system allows recovery of disabled vehicles in as little as two to three minutes. It is powered by a 500 horsepower Caterpillar C15 engine, giving a top speed of 100 km/h and a cruising range of 483 km.
The M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter was designed to transport M1 Abrams main battle tanks. The vehicle features two 25 ton capacity hydraulic winches and a single 1 360 kg capacity auxiliary winch. The M1070A1 is powered by a Caterpillar C-18 six-cylinder diesel developing 700 hp.
The trailer used with the M1070A1 is the M1000, which has 40 wheels across five axle lines. Payload according to the US Army is 63 560 kg, although the manufacturer quotes 80 000 kg at reduced speeds.
Egypt already operates several hundred M1070A0 vehicles. These are crucial to moving its large Abrams fleet around.