Mercedes-Benz To Supply 110 Zetros GTF Armoured Vehicles To Germany

The German Armed Forces has chosen Mercedes-Benz for the procurement of 110 Zetros GTF armoured transport vehicles. The agreement was signed in May 2012 between the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement and Daimler AG. The German Armed Forces will receive 25 GTF vehicles during the course of this year. "With the Zetros GTF from Mercedes-Benz, the German armed forces will be taking delivery of a new class of armoured logistics vehicle tailored specifically to the given requirements," noted Michael Dietz, Head of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks. "At the same time, we are able to deliver the vehicles with a very short lead time because the concept largely employs components from the established large-scale production series," he added. Hans Thünemann, Project Group Director U4 at the Office of Defence Technology and Procurement, focused on the aspect of protection for crews, "We attach high priority to protecting crews. With the new Zetros, soldiers will be able to perform their logistics tasks safely even when under threat. It is important for us that the vehicles can be supplied and ready for deployment in the short term". The Zetros 1833A 4x4 GTF vehicle has been designed specifically for operation in difficult territory. Powertrain and chassis originate from Mercedes-Benz's large-scale production programme, with assemblies which have been tried and tested on numerous deployments. The use of series-production components and assemblies additionally enables a short response time between receipt of order and delivery of the entire order volume.