Mercedes-Benz is exhibiting a selection of its military offerings at this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition taking place this week from September 14th to September 18th at the Air Force Base in Waterkloof, Centurion.
“As an international innovator in the automotive industry, we are at the forefront of any developments in the military segment and this foresight enables us to provide vehicles that allow our customers to respond to a number of tactical and logistical needs,” says Christo Kleynhans, Product Manager for Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
“Today’s military scenarios are changing rapidly and as Mercedes-Benz Defence Vehicles, we offer logistical vehicles and service concepts to meet mission demands while increasing efficiency with the use of smart technologies,” he adds.
As part of AAD, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is displaying a selection of vehicles, including the Unimog U5000 and the Actros 3344A/45.
Thanks to its state-of-the-art technology, the Unimog U5000 masters virtually every challenge. All-wheel-drive and an extremely torsionally flexible frame provide the robust vehicle with endless advantages in rough terrain. The Unimog U5000 brings crew, materials and heavy equipment to even the remotest of conflict zones.
The Actros 3344A/45 is, according to Kleynhans, exactly what militaries around the world require: innovative protection, uncompromising reliability, outstanding performance and an ability to withstand the toughest conditions as part of missions.
Modern-day defence missions require vehicles that provide custom-built solutions for various tasks in the southern African region, which is why Mercedes-Benz offers a wide range of vehicles to meet diverse logistical and tactical requirements.
“Our vehicles are based on large-scale truck series and this means that as the world’s largest truck manufacturer with a global reach, we make use of our extensive range of tried-and-tested parts and components. This allows us to deliver exactly those vehicles that our customers need within the shortest turnaround time,” says Kleynhans.
Just as private operators are doing, so too are militaries throughout the world focusing increasingly on the operating costs, which represent a significant part of any vehicle’s life-cycle costs. Mercedes-Benz provides vehicles that deliver full defence capability at maximum cost efficiency. Mercedes-Benz Defence Vehicles sees itself not only as a supplier of commercial vehicles but also as a sustainable partner of modern military forces.
