The Rheinmetall MAN military high altitude vehicle refers to a series of high mobility trucks. The company dedicates itself to the design and manufacture of military vehicles. They cover a diverse number of types of military trucks, armored and unarmored.
A high altitude vehicle is one that can be operated at higher altitudes.
About the Trucks
The Rheinmetall MAN trucks combine the latest version of a modular military-specific cab with a militarized commercial chassis and driveline. These trucks include a wide variety of water-cooled diesel engines, including the D0836, D2066, D2676, and D2868.
The gearbox is an AS-Tronic automated with 12 forward gears and two reverse. They are optionally equipped with a powershift-type fully automatic transmission.
The axles in the MAN vehicles are fully equipped to provide great torque and effectively distribute the truck's weight. The ratings for the axle weight are from 9,000 to 11,000 kg for the front axle and 10,000 kg for the rear axles.
For one of the truck models, the rear three axles feature an effective hydro-pneumatic suspension.
Due to their exclusive design to withstand difficult battle conditions, these vehicles can climb a 60% gradient and transverse a 40% side slope. Their approach angle is 40 degrees.
The cab of the MAN vehicle puts special emphasis on the crew's protection. The standard configuration contains a blast-proof vertical split windscreen. This cab also includes a riot protection kit. In the case of air transport, the cab's hard top is removable if required.
The High Altitude Expeditions
Rheinmetall MAN military vehicles are reputed to be the most reliable and mobile military support trucks. Based on this, Rheinmetall announced they were sponsoring an expedition that wanted to set a record for the highest altitude in high-altitude trucks. The attempt took place in December and it consisted of reaching the highest point on earth accessible to vehicles – the 6890 m-tall Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest active volcano located on the border between Chile and Argentina.
On December 19, the crew announced that they were calling off the mission at a height of 6,500 m due to an insurmountable amount of obstacles and harsh weather conditions.
