French Armed Forces will receive long-awaited fleet renewal of their cargo trucks in the 4-6 ton category with German Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6×6. This truck was chosen to replace Renault's GBC 180, which has been in service since 1997.
The decision to purchase Zetros is reported by Opex360, which also provides details of quite a large-scale procurement plan. Overall, 7,000 trucks are planned for purchase in two stages for approximately €2 billion. The contract also includes an option for another 3,000 vehicles.
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Contract executors are Daimler Trucks, which will supply trucks, and Arquus, which will refit them for military needs and be responsible for maintenance.
Defense Express reminds that Daimler Trucks is part of German auto giant Mercedes-Benz Group, while Arquus is former Renault Trucks, now owned by Belgian John Cockerill Group.
Meanwhile, choosing Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6×6 doesn't mean these vehicles will be received by French military while Renault's GBC 180 immediately goes to scrapyard.
The first order covers delivery of 2,000 trucks by 2030. Of these, the first 165 vehicles in tanker version should be delivered in 2027, and first 1,100 6-tonners in 2028. Further deliveries at 1,000 vehicles pace will be executed from 2030 to 2035.
Finally, it can be noted that Arquus formally has its own 7-ton Sherpa 5 truck created based on mentioned GBC 180. In Ukraine, it's known thanks to Caesar SPH, which was also supplied on this 6×6 chassis.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Zetros has wider distribution at minimum several hundred were received as aid from Germany. According to German publications, another 1,000 were ordered.
And although the reason for French military choosing German trucks and relegating the national manufacturer to only integrator role isn't reported, it's quite possible that real operational experience of Zetros in Ukraine was studied in detail in Paris.
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