Philip Smart | Adelaide
British vehicle specialist Supacat will supply its HMT Extenda high mobility vehicle for the Norwegian Defence Logistic Organisation (NDLO), signing a A$45 million contract that includes provision of through life support.
Supacat declined to specify the number of vehicles contracted, but said the deal includes an option to double the fleet at a later date.
The vehicle supplied to Norway will be modified for local requirements, but will be similar to the 89 Supacat Extenda Special Operations Vehicles - Commando (SOV-Cdo) ordered for Australian special forces in August 2014 under the JP2097 Phase 1B (REDFIN) program.
The Australian SOV-Cdo is based on the latest MK2 version of Supacat's HMT Extenda and is designed to meet Australian Special Force's specific requirements, including recovery and airlift provisions, weapon and C4 (Command and Control, Computers and Communications) integration, and equipment load carriage.
The vehicles can be reconfigured to suit the individual mission and the communications on board will provide digital connectivity across the ADF as well as Coalition partners.
The ADF has operated the Extenda’s predecessor, the Nary, since 2009 and named Supacat as preferred bidder to develop its replacement in 2012.
Initial Operating Capability is expected in August 2016, with Final Operating Capability in June 2018.
Norway’s first `pre-series` vehicle will be delivered in late 2016 followed by full fleet delivery from 2017 to 2019.
Supacat will build the rolling chassis at its Devon based facility, with final fit and integration in Norway.