Why did the British Army reject America’s combat-proven M1070 tank transporter and force Oshkosh to build an entirely new truck from scratch? This is the full story of the Oshkosh 1070F Heavy Equipment Transporter, the ‘American’ 8×8 that replaced Britain’s beloved Scammell Commander and has been hauling every Challenger 2 main battle tank the British Army owns for over two decades.
In 2001 the Ministry of Defence looked at the US Army’s M1070E1, listed every European regulation it broke, every shortfall against the 72-tonne Challenger 2, and said no. Oshkosh went back to Wisconsin and built a completely different machine with a Caterpillar C-18 700-horsepower diesel, an Allison HD 4076P seven-speed automatic, a new all-steel six-seat cab, and a bespoke British-built King GTS 100/7 seven-axle trailer from Market Harborough. The result moves 118 tonnes at 80 km/h on tarmac, and the US Army eventually copied the homework.
We cover the Scammell Commander’s 20-year career and why the Challenger 2 finally broke it, the full technical deep-dive on the 1070F’s engine, transmission, cab and trailer, the revolutionary FASTTRAX Private Finance Initiative and Sponsored Reserve driver model, combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Operation Cabrit in Estonia, and a detailed comparison against the German Rheinmetall MAN HX81 Mammut, the French Renault TRM 700-100, the Russian KZKT-7428 Rusich, and the American M1070A1.
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS VIDEO
~ The Scammell Commander — Rolls-Royce CV12 engine, Operation Granby deployment, and why the Challenger 2 exceeded its 65-tonne trailer rating
~ Why the MoD rejected the American M1070E1 — Euro III emissions, cab size, trailer legality, ECE regulations
~ The Oshkosh 1070F technical deep-dive — Caterpillar C-18 ACERT, Allison HD 4076P, CTIS, twin 24.9-tonne winches, Eaton VORAD blind-spot radar
~ The King GTS 100/7 trailer — seven axles, five steered, hydraulic self-levelling suspension, 72-tonne payload
~ The FASTTRAX PFI contract — £290 million, 20-year service deal, KBR, Deutsche Bank, Sponsored Reserves
~ 19 Tank Transporter Squadron RLC — the Carmens, sole heavy lift squadron in the British military
~ Combat record — Operation Telic in Iraq, Helmand Province Afghanistan, Operation Cabrit Estonia
~ Private Kevin Thompson — tribute to the Carmen’s Troop driver killed on Op Telic 9
~ Comparative analysis — vs German HX81 Mammut, French TRM 700-100, Russian KZKT-7428, American M1070A1
~ The 2024 KBR bridging contract and Materiel Distribution Land 2025 replacement programme
~ Myths debunked — Dragon Wagon nickname, fleet numbers, trailer designation confusion
RESEARCH SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
~ Oshkosh Defense official press releases — January 2001 preferred bidder announcement and December 2001 contract signing
~ Army Technology — Oshkosh 1070F Heavy Equipment and Tank Transporter Systems project page
~ KBR Ltd — Heavy Equipment Transporter programme page
~ FTX Logistics — FASTTRAX operating company, vehicles and careers pages
~ British Army official website — Heavy Equipment Transporter (HETS) equipment page and 27 Regiment RLC unit page
~ British Army official website — Driver Tank Transporter Operator career page
~ Ministry of Defence — DE&S April 2024 announcement on HET Interim Capability Contract
~ Shephard Media — Oshkosh Defense marks 10 years of HET service to UK MoD
~ Forces News — How do you move a 62.5 tonne Challenger 2 tank?
~ British Army news — Meet the Sponsored Reserves working seamlessly in the Army, July 2021
~ National Army Museum collection — Oshkosh Heavy Equipment Transporters, Helmand Province, 2008
~ MoD fatality notice — Private Kevin Thompson, 19 Tank Transporter Squadron RLC
~ Jane’s Defence — Oshkosh 1070F technical specifications and variant analysis
~ Wikipedia — Oshkosh M1070, Scammell Commander, Challenger 2, KZKT-7428
~ EKA Limited — HET Modernisation programme page
~ EDR Magazine — IAV 2026 Oshkosh and British Army HET and LPM programmes
~ HW Martin Plant — Oshkosh overhaul and refurbishment programme
~ MilitaryLeak — UK DE&S secures Heavy Equipment Transport vehicles for British Army, April 2024
~ Joint Forces News — British Army HET Interim Capability Contract
This channel is not affiliated with the Ministry of Defence, the British Army, Oshkosh Defense, KBR or any manufacturer mentioned in this video. All claims are sourced from publicly available documents, official press releases and published reporting. Myths and unverified accounts are clearly labelled in the narration.
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Credit to : British War Machine