- Mack Trucks and ND Defense are working on the Marine Corps’ next hybrid trucks.
- The Marines want to lower fuel consumption and be able to do silent watch operations.
The United States Marine Corps is looking to replace its aging fleet of medium tactical vehicles with a new breed of trucks that can power tools and weapons almost silently. While the Marines won’t go all-electric yet, they are looking for the next best thing: hybrids.
The second phase of the Medium Tactical Truck (MTT) program kicked off with two companies in the running to become the Marines’ next supplier of medium-duty trucks. Mack Trucks landed a $16 million contract for two prototypes, while ND Defense (formerly known as Navistar Defense) was awarded $17.2 million in January to build its hybrid truck prototype.
Oshkosh’s MTVR family went into production in 1999 and was first fielded in 2001.
Photo by: Oshkosh
The same two companies won the first phase of the program last year. According to the Department of Defense, both contractors need to finish their prototypes by May of next year. Then, the third and final phase of the program will be conducted for eight months. The performance testing period will extend into the fiscal year 2027 and will determine which of the companies will get the manufacturing contract.
The new MTT family will include a wide range of tactical support trucks, including cargo, dump, wrecker, tractor, and resupply. The Marine Corps wants three cargo bed lengths, starting with a newly added 10-foot version and topping it off with the well-known 15- and 20-foot configurations.
Photo by: Mack Trucks
However, what makes the new MTT vehicle stand out from the old Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) trucks is their hybrid powertrains and silent power supply capability. The Marines want to reduce fuel consumption, extend operational range, enable silent watch operations, and have trucks that can offer between 10 and 30 kilowatts of power to external systems.
Mack Trucks’ prototypes will be based on the current Granite platform, but specifically designed to meet the Marine Corps’ specifications. The Volvo Group-owned truck maker said it will build a 4×4 configuration with a 10-foot cargo bed, as well as a 6×6 configuration with a 20-foot bed for the second phase of the MTT program.
The vehicles feature “extensive onboard power storage and generation, and exportable power for other military systems,” as well as several creature comforts such as collision avoidance, blind-spot detection, and traction control with anti-lock brakes.
Photo by: ND Defense
Meanwhile, ND Defense’s prototype will be based on the Atlas platform that’s currently available in a myriad of configurations, from 4×2 to 8×8.
Earlier this year, the Marines explained their choice of going hybrid for the next chapter. “The Marines, you know, we blow stuff up, so I’m not so sure how much we care about the climate, but we care about operational energy,” said Stephen Bowdren, Program Executive Officer Land Systems, during a panel discussion, quoted by National Defense Magazine. “We do care about minimizing the amount of fuel we have to get to anywhere. So, these become very important, and we’re really excited about what we’re doing with MTT on exploring that hybrid-type technology.”