The US Army and the US Army Reserve have ordered an additional 144 Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs) as part of the previously announced firm-fixed price $296 million contract to be fulfilled over seven years that the Army awarded Mack Defense in 2018.
The vehicles, based on the commercially available Mack Granite model, are a key component in construction and maintenance missions for infrastructure assets, such as airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools.
“We are proud to maintain our production operation which was created for the US Army M917A3 HDT program, and we are extremely proud that our Mack Defense HDT vehicles, which have been fielded, are meeting and exceeding expectations,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “Mack Defense remains committed to producing vehicles for the US armed forces based on modified versions of our industry-leading Mack vehicles providing the latest technologies and best value while meeting the military’s demanding requirements.”
The Army previously ordered 155 HDTs, which are designed with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other ruggedized features to meet the unique requirements of the Army. Those HDT vehicles have all been built, and final deliveries will continue through August 2022.
The Mack Granite HDT model is a modern truck equipped with modern technology, such as ABS and other active safety systems. The Granite model is user-friendly, comfortable and safer to operate compared with other past models used by the Army, which is key to the Army’s investment in the new HDTs.
Production of the HDTs at the Mack Experience Center (MEC) in Allentown, Pennsylvania, began in Q1 2021, following an investment of $6.5 million to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility. The production line helps fulfill the M917A3 contract, while allowing Mack Defense to produce other vehicle variants. The Granite HDTs and the production line at the MEC were both inspected by the government quality auditors to ensure both met expectations.
