THE ROYAL LOGISTIC CORPS (RLC)

VEHICLES - DROPS - TRUCK UTILITY LIGHT / MEDIUM (TUL/TUM) - TRUCK UTILITY MEDIUM (HEAVY DUTY) (TUM(HD)) - TRUCK CARGO - HEAVY EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT

Although many of the vehicles operated by the RLC are common to all arms, RLC units are in the main the majority users. During April 2005 a £1 billion contract was awarded to MAN ERF, will see the delivery from 2007 onwards of over 5,000 modern, versatile and robust support vehicles, with an option to buy up to 2,000 more.

The vehicles will be capable of transporting large quantities of bulk equipment to front-line troops wherever they are operating. The new fleet will consist of a mix of cargo and recovery vehicles. They will replace the MoD's tri-service fleet of four, eight and 14 tonne cargo vehicles and recovery trucks.

DROPS
 

Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System (DROPS) vehicles form the logistic backbone of the British Army.

There are two types of vehicle – the Leyland Medium Mobility Load Carrier (MMLC), and the Foden Improved Medium Mobility Load Carrier (IMMLC).

Both trucks are 8x6 load carriers with a 15-tonne flatrack payload, allowing the rapid loading and unloading of flatracks or containers.

IMMLC is used primarily as an ammunition carrier in support of AS90 155mm self-propelled guns. MMLC operates solo, or towing a skeleton trailer. It can be deployed with Simple Rail Transfer Equipment (SRTE) for unloading and loading railway flat cars.

Photo Copyright Marshall SV

TRUCK UTILITY LIGHT / MEDIUM (TUL/TUM)
 

Approximately 12,000 Land Rovers are in service with the British Army worldwide. Army Land Rovers are militarised Defender 90s and 110s, and the high performance Wolf.

Designated the Trucks Utility Light (TUL) and Medium (TUM), Army Land Rovers carry reconnaissance and fire control teams, support weapons with their crews and ammunition, and communication and information systems for commanders.
 

Some Wolf Land Rovers TUM(HS) are winterised and waterproofed: a snorkel allows the vehicle to wade through water up to windscreen level and an engine fluids heater is fitted to pre-warm the engine. Other vehicles are stripped down and fitted with roll cages and weapons mounts – the Weapons Mount Installation Kit (or ‘Wimik’) – for use as reconnaissance and close fire support vehicles. Typically the vehicle will carry one 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun and a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun.

TRUCK UTILITY MEDIUM (HEAVY DUTY) (TUM(HD))
 

The Pinzgauer 716M Truck Utility Medium (Heavy Duty) – TUM(HD) – and the Reynolds Broughton RB 44 Truck Utility Heavy (TUH) perform a variety of utility roles, from carrying stores to acting as command and communications vehicles.

The Pinzgauer is used as a gun tractor for the 105mm Light Gun, and can be carried in a C130 aircraft or ferried around the battlefield by a RAF Chinook helicopter as an under slung load.



 

TRUCK CARGO
 

14 TONNE 6 X 6 MEDIUM MOBILITY

The powerful Bedford 14 tonner can carry troops, but is is usually found moving NATO standard pallets, load containers or fuel.

8 TONNE 4 X 4 MEDIUM MOBILITY

The Bedford TM Medium Mobility 8-tonne truck carries 20 troops, 6 NATO standard pallets, unit load containers, general stores or fuel loads and certain container loads. The truck can tow a trailer of up to 8 tonnes gross weight on roads or tracks, and may be fitted with a winch or crane.
 

4 TONNE GENERAL SERVICE (GS)
 

The 4x4 Leyland/DAF 4-tonne GS (General Service) is the latest version of the Army’s ‘Four Tonner’, the trusty Army lorry encountered wherever British troops are to be found.

The truck can carry 20 troops (plus 3 in the cab) or 3 NATO standard pallets, and may be encountered with a variety of specialist bodies, or a 6.3 tonne crane.

The 4-tonne GS is air-portable in a C130 Hercules aircraft.
 

HEAVY EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT
 

Tank Transporters or Heavy Equipment Transporters are capable of pulling an immobilised tank on board, and can carry 70-tonne Main Battle Tanks.

They can move their load rapidly and cost-effectively, saving wear and tear on the tracks – and the roads.

The semi-trailers are equipped with a heavy-duty winch – giving an all-up weight of 104 tonnes.

The new Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) is the most powerful tank transporter in production. It consists of an Oshkosh 1070F 8x8 tractor truck and a King Trailer GTS 100 seven axle semi-trailer. Its after-cooled Caterpillar C18 turbocharged diesel engine develops 700hp.