Logistics: France Tests New Trucks In The Mali Outback


November 7, 2013: In the last few months the French Army has received the first 200 (of 2,400) of their new combat supply trucks. The PPT line of vehicles are 8x8 trucks with modern mechanical and electronic features and capable of operating cross country. Six of them have been sent to Mali, where most supplies have to be moved hundreds of kilometers to sustain troops operating in mountains and desert conditions near the Algerian border. There are few paved roads up there and the PPT vehicles are getting their first battlefield test.

The six PPTs headed for Mali are the PPLOG version that comes with a loading system (mechanical aids for getting cargo on and off the vehicle). The PPTs are 9.27 meters (30 feet) long, 2.55 meters (8.4 feet) wide, and weigh 32 tons. Top speed is 80 kilometers an hour. The PPLOG version can haul up to 36 tons of cargo. When carrying the loading/unloading gear it can carry 18 tons of cargo. The PPT can carry cargo containers as well and will replace trucks introduced late in the Cold War. These were designed for a war in Europe, while the PPTs are intended for operations anywhere in the world, usually during peacekeeping or disaster relief situations.



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