Rheinmetall MAN delivers last MAN SX45 L 8x8 radar platform trucks to British Army.

The British Ministry of Defence has taken delivery of the last five specialized 8x8 trucks from a £2.6m contract signed in July 2017.

Right-hand drive MAN SX45 (L) platform for radar equipment of the British army (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

Delivered by lead project partner MAN Truck & Bus UK and made in Vienna by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, the five SX45 (L) Variant vehicles are the last of this type to be manufactured. The vehicles are used by the British Army as mobile platforms to deploy radar equipment.

The MAN SX series of high mobility military trucks is a successor to the previous KAT 1, which was introduced with the German armed forces in the late 1960s. It is in service with the German army. The British armed forces also ordered over 7,000 various MAN SX and HX series trucks to replace the ageing fleet of Bedford, Leyland DAF and Foden military trucks. Deliveries started in 2007. Other operators are Austria, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Norway, Sweden and some other countries.

The MAN SX series high mobility truck shares some technologies with the MAN HX family, as well as FX and LX families. However, it has a stiffer chassis and much greater mobility. The SX45 is an 8x8 heavy utility truck, designed to operate in tough off-road conditions. It has a payload capacity of 14 - 16 t. These trucks were specially developed to meet military requirements and are intended to carry heavy and specialized equipment such as radars, command shelters, antenna masts, missile launchers, etc. It is also used as a load handling system to carry flat racks and containers. There are light and heavy recovery versions of this vehicle as well.

The MAX SX family has a modular cab, which can be fitted with add-on armor protection kit. This kit was jointly developed by MAN and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. It provides protection against 7.62x39 mm rounds, artillery shell splinters, grenades, small anti-personnel mines. Armored modules are attached to the outside of the cab. Armored kit can be installed within 10 hours in field conditions.

The MAN SX45 is powered by a MAN D2066 LFG 10.5-liter turbocharged diesel engine, developing 440 hp. It meets EURO 4 emission requirements. Engine is located behind and under the cab. Such layout allowed to reduce the overall height of the truck. The engine is coupled with a fully-automatic 6-speed transmission. Maximum road speed is electronically limited to 90 km/h. Vehicle was designed to keep pace with tracked combat vehicles across any terrain. This high mobility truck is fitted with a central tyre pressure system. Without preparation, if fords water obstacles up to 1.2 m deep. After preparation vehicle is capable of fording up to 1.5 m. Trucks with standard equipment can operate in temperature ranges from -32°C to +50°C. With special arctic kit these trucks can operate in extreme conditions down to -46°C.