Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV) has donated two high-mobility HX 4×4 vehicles to THW-Bundesvereinigung e.V., Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief. Official handover of the keys took place on 22 June 2022 at the Rheinmetall stand at Interschutz 2022 in Hannover, the world’s leading trade fair for first responder technology.

The two new HX vehicles were meticulously customized in cooperation with MEILLER-Kipper company of Munich and special truck maker Freytag Karosseriebau to meet the needs of the civil protection and disaster relief organization Technisches Hilfswerk (THW). Thanks to their robust design, high mobility and 1.5-metre wading capability, the trucks are tailor-made for tough terrain and flood zones. A round roof hatch gives the crew an excellent 360-degree view as well as providing an additional means of entering and exiting the vehicle. These HX vehicles lend themselves to a wide variety of transport tasks and can also pull trailers of the kind used by THW. One of the two donated vehicles will be deployed at the local THW chapter in Dülmen in North Rhine-Westphalia, the other in Limburg in Hesse.

The disastrous 2021 flood in the Ahr valley prompted Rheinmetall MAN to donate the trucks. The MEILLER Kipper company supported the project by donating the three-side tippers, which were then installed by Freytag Karosseriebau. To get relief supplies into the disaster zone and deliver donations directly to the areas affected, Rheinmetall’s joint venture partner MAN lent the disaster relief workers several all-terrain-capable RMMV trucks.

The Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles HX family are among the most widely used trucks for armed forces and security services as well as other government agencies. Over 15,000 are now in service worldwide. A family of military off-the-shelf vehicles, HX trucks are systematically designed for maximum robustness, mobility, ergonomics, and modularity – all unique selling points. These vehicles have proved to be highly effective in disaster relief and aid operations, including in the Ahr valley in 2021, during bushfires in Australia, and floods in New Zealand.

Rheinmetall was exhibiting at Interschutz for the first time. Widely considered to be the world’s leading trade fair for firefighters, rescue services, disaster relief, civil defence and security, the event is held every five years. This year it took place in Hannover from 20 to 25 June. Among the systems on show were the SX-GTLF triple combination pumper from the plant fire brigade in Unterlüß, an HX 77 with a CSM Excavator build-on, and an HX60 three-side tipper.