Mack Defense to deliver 144 more M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks to US Army
Mack Defense announced on 16 August that the US Army has placed an additional order for 144 M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs). The vehicles in the latest order are part of the firm-fixed-price $296 million contract to be fulfilled over seven years that the US Army awarded to Mack Defense in 2018.
The Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck is a commercially-based Mack Granite dump truck, engineered to be the best-in-class tactical vehicle solution from the only company that can deliver these unparalleled capabilities to the U.S. Army. This vehicle is one of the most popular and proven dump trucks in the world—with over 42,400 Mack Granite trucks produced since 2009.
In May 2018, the U.S. Army awarded Mack Defense the contract that could be worth up to $296.4M over seven years to produce up to 683 non-armored and armored M917A3 HDTs. The U.S. Army signed the agreement Nov. 30, 2020, to purchase 99 Mack Granite-based HDT’s after completing two years of successful Production Vehicle Testing of 12 vehicles at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Test Center in Aberdeen, Maryland in accordance with the contract program timeline. Then on March 29, 2021 an additional order of 56 HDTs were placed as part of the 2021 Presidential budget.
Production of the HDTs at the MEC began in Q1 2021, following an investment of $6.5 million to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility. The new production line helps fulfill the HDT contract with the U.S. Army and allows the production of other vehicle variants.
On December 23, 2021, Mack Defense delivered to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserve the first production M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDT) to roll off Mack Defense’s new production line at the Mack Experience Center (MEC).
The production line in the MEC is in Mack’s former Customer Adaptation Center, where vehicle modifications occurred. The Customer Adaptation Center has since moved to Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack Trucks Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled. Previously, non-armored HDT vehicles started production at LVO and were then transported to the MEC, where final assembly, including adding the dump body, occurred.
The 94,500 lb. GVWR M917A3 HDTs based on the Mack Granite model feature an all-wheel drive 8×8 configuration. Mack Defense engineers increased the suspension’s ride height to create a heavy dump truck capable of meeting the demanding payload and mobility requirements set by the U.S. Army HDT program. An armored cab was also engineered, utilizing all the comfort features and amenities of a commercial truck, while adding force protection to help keep occupants safe in hostile environments. The M917A3s are powered by 13-liter Mack MP8 engines, delivering 440 horsepower and 1,660 lb.-ft. of torque.
Mack Defense designed its M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck to meet the current needs of the US Army while allowing for evolving requirements and future growth.