Family Of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV)

The Family Of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) program is a key Army procurement initiative under the Other Procurement, Army (OPA) appropriation, specifically within the Tactical and Support Vehicles budget activity. The program's overarching goal is to modernize, recapitalize, and sustain a fleet of heavy tactical vehicles that provide essential logistics, transportation, and support capabilities for Army operations. FHTV systems are designed to transport ammunition, fuel, supplies, and equipment across diverse tactical environments, supporting both combat and support units. The program includes procurement of new vehicles, recapitalization of legacy platforms, and acquisition of specialized trailers and modules to address identified capability gaps and readiness shortfalls.

The PLS Trailer line item focuses on procuring the M1076A1 Palletized Load System (PLS) trailers, which are essential for cross-country transport of cargo, including ISO containers. These trailers feature Container Transfer Enhancement (CTE) for rapid loading and unloading without additional material handling equipment. They fill tactical mobility gaps in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) and enable distributed logistics support for fuel and ammunition on the battlefield. The procurement supports Transportation Companies and enhances operational flexibility and speed.

The Medium Equipment Trailer (MET) line item provides for the acquisition of MET units, which are critical for moving intermediate-weight combat vehicles, such as the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles, with payloads up to 60 tons (objective 70 tons). METs are assigned to Heavy Equipment Transporter Systems (HETS) and Composition Truck Company-Heavy (CTC-H) units, enabling rapid movement of tracked vehicles and meeting NATO road permit requirements. The procurement partially fills requirements for HET Companies supporting Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs), directly supporting Army modernization and Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).

The HEMTT M983A4 LET Tractor line item allocates funding for trucks that serve as prime movers for tactical semitrailers and recovery systems, including support for the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program. The HEMTT LET tractors are essential for catastrophic recovery of Stryker and MRAP vehicles, and their procurement addresses critical requirements for Long-Range Precision Fires and engineering support in forward-deployed units.

The Forward Repair System (FRS) line item funds the procurement of FRS units, program support, transportation, and fielding. The FRS is a highly mobile maintenance shop mounted on a flatrack, providing direct support level maintenance in forward battle areas. It is equipped with cranes, power tools, and compressors, enabling rapid repair and recovery of combat systems. This procurement addresses equipment shortages and modernizes legacy fleets, ensuring maintenance capabilities are available at the point of need.

The Palletized Load System Extended Service Program (PLS ESP) requests funding to recapitalize PLS trucks with By-Wire Active Safety and Enhanced Container Handling Units (E-CHU). This program upgrades older PLS A0 configurations to the A1/A2 standard, integrating active safety and foundational autonomous capabilities. The recapitalization produces like-new vehicles with full warranties, improving survivability, reliability, and operational safety for Soldiers. The consolidation of previous ESP lines into this line item streamlines procurement and supports the Army's Autonomous Transport Vehicle-System (ATV-S) initiative.

The Heavy Equipment Transporter System (EHETS) line item supports the modernization and replacement of prime movers and trailers for transporting M1 Abrams tanks and other heavy tracked vehicles. The focus is on upgrading M1070A1 HETS tractors to the M1300 EHETS configuration and procuring new M1302 trailers with 90-ton payload capacity. EHETS enables rapid movement of combat-loaded vehicles, filling readiness gaps and supporting the National Defense Strategy by ensuring the Army can deploy and sustain heavy forces in contested environments.