Norway will acquire nearly 300 TG3 MIL 8x8 military trucks from German defence prime Rheinmetall in a deal worth in excess of €150m ($162m), with deliveries beginning form late 2026.

In terms of volume, it is the largest single call-off of trucks to date under the framework contract concluded between Rheinmetall, Norway, and Sweden. Earmarked for the Norwegian Armed Forces, the package encompasses multiple vehicle variants, including hook loader trucks, special vehicles with crane and hook loader systems as well as trailers and flatracks.

The contract was signed on 31 May in Oslo by Gro Jeare, director of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA), and Michael Wittlinger, chairman of the board of management of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV).

According to a 7 June release from Rheinmetall the primary purpose of the vehicles will be to enhance the transport capacity and operational capabilities of the Norwegian military. The latest call-off represents less than half of the necessary logistic vehicles covered by the framework contract, meaning that follow-up orders from Norway and other Scandinavian nations are likely.

The roots of the Scandinavian logistic truck project reach back to 2008, when a project group of the Norwegian military drew up a specifications catalogue for new military logistic trucks, with RMMV’s proposal winning out in 2013.

Together with its Swedish opposite number, the FMV procurement agency in Stockholm, the NDMA signed a framework agreement on 31 March 2014 with RMMV for the supply of military logistic trucks. A related agreement covers the long-term provision of service support by RMMV. 

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH RMMV is joint venture company in which Rheinmetall AG holds a 51% stake and MAN Truck & Bus SE the remaining 49%.

Supporting European militaries

Rheinmetall provides multiple countries in Europe with military logistics platforms, which are an often overlooked but critical capability.

In May this year the German Bundeswehr ordered an additional supply of 56 heavy-duty HX81 tractor units in the 70-tonne payload class from Rheinmetall, which will be delivered throughout 2023 and 2024 in a deal worth in excess of €50m.

The Bundeswehr mainly use the trucks to transport heavy armoured vehicles, such as the Leopard 2 main battle tank and the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer.