Author: DAF|Caption: DAF CF Military
Since 2011, there has been an intensive and mutually well-evaluated cooperation between Tatra Trucks a.s. from Kopřivnice and DAF Trucks N.V. from the Netherlands. It has been launched since the beggining of the Tatra Phoenix project, covering chassis, cabs and engines. Now DAF is receiving a contract from the Belgian Ministry of Defense for the delivery of 636 light and 243 heavy CF Military vehicles, which is becoming an opportunity not only for chassis from Tatra Trucks, but also ballistic cabs from the Czech Republic, which Tatra Defense Vehicle specializes in.
DAF CF Military vehicles will gradually replace older types of the Belgian army. It still uses German Unimog 1.9T vehicles, Swedish Volvo N10, Italian Iveco M250 and ALC 8x4, and other vehicles in its logistics. The new vehicles will be a welcome change for the Belgian army, thanks both to unification and to the characteristics of the proven Tatra all-wheel-drive chassis. In addition, older vehicles are completely without armor, while a large part of the delivery of modern CF Military (352 vehicles) will be equipped with an armored cabin produced by Tatra Defense Vehicle. Unarmored cabs are made by DAF itself, and the American company PACCAR will supply proven engines that are also used by our Tatras.
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The vehicles will be delivered in several variants as container carriers, trucks, trucks with a crane, as well as tipper trucks. When looking at the CF Military, the relationship with the Tatra Phoenix is immediately apparent. DAF has selected HIAB as the supplier of all hook lift and crane systems for handling loads, and VS-Mont for the supply of tipper bodies. Truck bodies will be manufactured by Porgest.
The complete service of CF military vehicles for the Belgian Armed Forces can be performed by a professional network of DAF service dealers with 27 locations in Belgium and more than 1,100 locations worldwide. DAF's global service dealer organization has the support of PACCAR Parts, which ensures the best availability of spare parts in the industry.
"We are very proud to have been awarded this prestigious order from the Belgian Armed Forces," said Harry Trucks, President of DAF Trucks. "Due to the fact that our state-of-the-art plant for the production of cabs and axles is located in Westerlo, we consider Belgium to be the domestic market and therefore this order is even more valuable to us. With the military models of the CF series, we will offer the Belgian Armed Forces a range of unique trucks with which they can perfectly perform their responsible tasks in all circumstances, "added Harry Wolters.
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It is also not without interest that the Belgian army has sixty Pandur I wheeled armored personnel carriers. In addition, it introduces the VBMR (multi-purpose armored vehicle) Griffon, which was acquired in France, and its concept reminds us of the already well-known TITUS vehicles. It also plans to buy French self-propelled howitzers CAESAR, like the Czech Army, but not new ones - second-hand from the French army.
Source: daf.com, beldefnews.mil.be