Product Manager Heavy Tactical Vehicles
MISSION:
Transform Combat Support (CS) and Combat Service Support (CSS) Units by Equipping and Supporting Soldiers with Heavy Tactical Wheeled Vehicles and Tactical Trailers, along with their Associated Distribution Platforms and Mission Modules.VISION:
To provide the Army logistician with the ultimate operational capability to conduct resupply, re-arming, and recovery operations using the most adaptable, survivable equipment available.FOCUS:
The Product Manager Heavy Tactical Vehicles (PdM HTV) manages programs including the Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS), Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), Palletized Load System (PLS), two Tactical Fire Fighting Trucks (TFFT and HEWATT), M915 line haul family of vehicles (FOV), fifth-wheel trailers, Petroleum Tanker, special trailers, flatracks, and container handling mission modules.
M1070A1/M1000 Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS)
The M1070/M1000 Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS) deploys transports, recovers and evacuates combat-loaded M1 tanks and other vehicles of similar weight to and from the battlefield. The M1070 tractor and M1000 semitrailer replaced the M911/M747 as the Army’s latest model HETS. The M1070/M1000 HETS was developed to accommodate the 70 ton weight of the M1 Abrams family of main battle tanks. The M1070 provides line-haul, local-haul and maintenance evacuation on and off the road during tactical operations worldwide. The HETS is designed to carry both the tank and its crew.
The M1070A1 HETS tractor was designed with a new power train that consists of a 700 horsepower engine, single-speed transfer case for ease of operation, and numerous front suspension and drive system updates to increase the safe operating load capacity of the vehicle steering and handling systems. The M1070A1 is designed with an armored A-kit cab and is B-kit armor ready.
The M1000 Semitrailer has been improved with a series of maintainability changes including self-adjusting brakes, central lubrication system at each axle, and a more reliable hydraulic pump.
M977A4 Armored Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT)
The Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) is the workhorse of Army combat divisions. It is the key combat service support enabler for all brigade combat teams. The 11-ton, eight-wheel-drive family of vehicles is designed to operate in any climatic condition.
There are several basic configurations of the HEMTT-series trucks: the M977 cargo truck with light materiel-handling crane; M985 cargo truck with medium materiel-handling crane; the M978 2,500-gallon fuel tanker; the M983 tractor; the M984 wrecker; and the M1120 Load-Handling System (LHS) and the M983 Light Equipment Transporter (LET), used in Stryker recovery operations and movement of heavy engineer equipment.
M1142 Tactical Fire fighting Truck (TFFT)
The HEMTT is used as a prime mover for the Patriot missile system, M7 forward repair system and tactical water purification system and as the chassis for the M1977 common bridge transporter, M1142 tactical fire fighting truck and M1158 HEMTT-based water tender. The HEMTT is also compatible with the PLS trailer.
The HEMTT is augmented by the M989-A1 heavy expanded munitions ammunition trailer (HEMAT) in the transport of the Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family of munitions (MFOM). The HEMAT can transport four MFOM pods, each weighing approximately 5,400 pounds. The off road capability of the HEMTT and HEMAT combination can transport eight MFOM pods. The M989A1 HEMAT is also required to transport six standard ammunition pallets (single stacked), two 600-gallon fuel pods or two 500-gallon fuel bladders.
The HEMTT recapitalization (RECAP) program will recapitalize HEMTT vehicles to 0 miles/0 hours and to the A4 configuration, which consists of bumper-to-bumper recap of the entire truck with the following technology insertions: CAT 15 engine, electronic transmission, ABS and traction control, and larger cab. The HEMTT A4 is designed with an armored A-kit cab and B-kit armor.
M1075A1 Armored Palletized Load System (PLS)
The Palletized Load System (PLS) is the primary component of the maneuver-oriented ammunition distribution system. It also performs local-haul, line-haul, unit resupply and other transportation missions in the tactical environment. In addition the PLS is the prime mover for the M7 Forward Repair System and various engineer mission modules (M4 Bituminous Distributor Module, M5 Concrete Mobile Mixer Module and M6 Dump Body Module). The PLS is the host chassis for the dry support bridge launcher vehicle (M1975).
The PLS consists of a 16.5-ton payload tactical truck with a flatrack. It is a five-axle, 10-wheel drive vehicle with a 500-hp Detroit Diesel engine, an Allison automatic transmission and a CTIS. This combination provides a highly mobile system able to transport its payload in virtually any type of terrain or weather and maintain pace with the self-propelled artillery systems that it supports. The PLS comes in two mission-oriented configurations: the M1074 and the M1075. The M1074 is equipped with a variable reach materiel-handling crane (MHC) to support forward-deployed field artillery units. The M1075, without MHC, is used in conjunction with the M1076 trailer to support transportation line-haul missions.
The PLS recapitalization (RECAP) program will recapitalize PLS vehicles to 0 miles/0 hours and to the current A1 configuration, which consists of bumper-to-bumper recap of the entire truck with the following technology insertions: CAT 15 engine, electronic transmission, ABS and traction control, and larger cab. The PLS A1 is designed with an armored A-kit cab and B-kit armor.
M1076 PLS Trailer
The M1076 PLS trailer is a three-axle, wagon-style trailer with a 16.5-ton payload capacity that is equipped with a flatrack that is interchangeable between truck and trailer. The combination of truck and trailer provides the combined payload capacity of 33 tons. The flatracks are lifted on and off the truck and trailer by a hydraulic-powered arm mounted on the truck. The hydraulic arm eliminates the need for additional material-handling equipment. The controls for the arm are located inside the cab, allowing the operator to load or unload the truck in less than one minute without leaving the cab of the truck. The trailer can be loaded or unloaded in less than five minutes using the remote-control arm. The Container Transfer Enhancement (CTE) upgrade that allows for ISO container loading onto the PLS-T is scheduled for fielding in FY2014.
The PLS can transport multiple cargo configurations by using a variety of flatracks. The M1077 and M1077A1 flatracks are sideless and used to transport pallets of ammunition and other classes of supplies. The M1 flatrack carries identical classes of supplies. It is ISO/CSC certified and suitable for intermodal transport, including transport on container ships. The M3/M3A1 container roll-in/roll-out platform is a flatrack that fits inside a 20-foot ISO container. The container-handling unit is a kit installed on the PLS that allows the direct load, transport and unload of 20-foot ISO containers without an external flatrack.
The PLS vehicle is in the process of upgrade to incorporate a modern powertrain with increased horsepower, independent suspension and an updated cab that is common with the latest HEMTT vehicles. The updated PLS vehicles, model suffix A1, are currently in production while fielding began in February 2011. The PLS A1 is long-term protection strategy (LTPS) compliant with A-Kit cab and B-kit armor.
M915A5 Line Haul Truck
The Army’s M915 family of vehicles (FOV) consists of the current M915 family of line haul trucks, M916 Light Equipment Transports (LETs), and M917 20 ton dump trucks. The Army’s M915-Series Line-Haul Tractors operate on highways and secondary roads to transport bulk supplies and fuel to U.S. forces. The M915A5 is based upon Freightliner’s commercial Western Star tractors and incorporates transport industry technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and low operating costs per mile
The M915-series fleet of vehicles is found primarily in active and reserve component transportation units that are responsible for the rapid, efficient transport of bulk supplies from ocean ports to division support areas within a theater of operation. They are used primarily to transport the M871 semitrailer (flatbed, 22.5 tons), M872 semitrailer (flatbed, 34 tons), M967/M969 semitrailer (5,000-gallon tanker), M1062 semitrailer (7,500-gallon tanker), and M1062A1 semitrailer (9,000-gallon tanker). The M915A5 is the latest series and has a maximum gross combined vehicle weight of 120,000 pounds when operating with the M872A4 semitrailer. The M915A5 began fielding in October 2010 and completed production in April 2012.
The M915A5 offers improvements over the legacy M915A3 which include suspension upgrades for increased weight capability for B-kits, and an extended cab that is 10 inches wider and 34 inches longer than the M915A3 crew cab. The M915A5 is designed with an armored A-kit cab, and can accept B-kit armor.
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