Oshkosh Defense and Broshuis have received a contract from the US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to produce semitrailers for the heavy equipment transporter (HET).

The contract was awarded to meet the US Army Europe’s need for a semitrailer that is capable of delivering an increased payload. The semitrailer to be provided by the Oshkosh team will be designed to comply with European road rules.

Under the deal, Oshkosh and its Dutch partner Broshuis will deliver 170 semitrailers between fiscal years 2020 and 2021. The contract has an initial value of $13.3m with a potential for up to $109.8m.

Designed by Oshkosh Defense, the HET is used by the army to transport mission-critical equipment, including tanks, armoured vehicles, and recovery vehicles.

The company has been supplying the transporter to the US Army since 1976.



Broshuis is specialised in providing semitrailers for commercial and military transport.

Oshkosh Defense US Army and US Marine Corps programmes general manager Pat Williams said: “Oshkosh Defense and our partner, Broshuis, each bring a unique set of skills and experiences to this programme.

“As the OEM of the HET, not only do we understand this vehicle inside and out, but we also have a proven record of success delivering critical vehicle accessories and upgrades that our troops rely on.

“By combining our experience with the trailer expertise of our partner, Broshuis, we were able to provide the US Army with an efficient, durable semitrailer that can be relied upon to ensure heavy equipment arrives in mission-ready condition.”

“We have a proven record of success delivering critical vehicle accessories and upgrades that our troops rely on.”

Prior to the contract award, two prototypes passed a test and evaluation phase at Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland, US.

The evaluation covered various aspects, including the semitrailer’s payload capacity, transportability, loading and unloading efficiency of operational and disabled vehicles, and overall logistics capability.

The latest contract comes after Oshkosh received a $232.7m order to recapitalise vehicles in the army’s family of heavy tactical vehicles (FHTV) fleet.

The contract covers the recapitalisation of 407 heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks (HEMTT) and palletised load system (PLS) trucks. In addition, the order included the manufacture of 601 PLS trailers.