UK to soon receive final Enhanced Pallet Loading System trucks

MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd is slated to soon deliver the last of 382 Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) HX 8×8 trucks for the British Army fitted with the Enhanced Pallet Loading System (EPLS), under a GBP53 million (USD72 million) contract awarded by the Defence Equipment & Support organisation late in 2018.

This work is being undertaken at facilities in the UK with MAN Truck & Bus as prime contractor and RMMV responsible for supplying the conversion kit that is produced at its main military truck manufacturing facility in Vienna.

The RMMV HX 8×8 upgraded with an Enhanced Pallet Loading System and carrying a standard 20×8×8 ISO container. (MAN Truck & Bus)

The hook loading system is made by Cargotec, which has co-operated with RMMV for various international customers including Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. These HX 8×8 trucks are fitted with a standard fully enclosed and air conditioned forward control cab that can accept an applique armour kit.

The upgraded vehicles are designated as the EPLS3, and are replacing the Leyland DAF 8×6 Demountable Rack Off-loading and Pick up System (DROPS) Medium Mobility Load Carrier (MMLC) fitted with a Cargotec Mk 4 handing system with a nominal load of 16.5 tonnes, or a 20 ft ISO container system deployed by the British Army.

When compared to the older DROPS, the new EPLS3 have greater cross-country mobility (8×8 drive rather than 8×6).

In addition to the EPLS conversion, quantities of RMMV 8×8 trucks have also been allocated for other battlefield missions including the MBDA Land Ceptor surface-to-air missile system. Those 8×8s were provided to MBDA as government furnished equipment from British Army stocks.