The HX2 is an advanced version of the tried-and-tested HX family of vehicles made by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles. The 6x6 cargo version on display at the Rheinmetall pavilion is powered by a high-performance, 440-horsepower MAN diesel engine; this, together with its large-volume 16-inch special tyres, ensures excellent mobility in all types of terrain.

The key design objective: a sustained reinforcement of the chassis for front axle loads of up to 11 tonnes in order to meet customer requirements for greater survivability and sustainability. To achieve this, RMMV’s parent companies had to go back to the drawing board. MAN came up with a new heavy-duty front axle, readying it for full-scale series production. For its part, Rheinmetall developed and qualified a new protected driver’s cab.

The HX2 represents the future core of a fleet of high-mobility protected transport vehicles that can be deployed worldwide, and demonstrates unequivocally the close-knit relationship between RMMV and its parent companies.

Furthermore, the HX2 on display in Paris is fitted with Rheinmetall’s “Active Defence System” (ADS), which was successfully tested just last year. The sensor system detects incoming projectiles such as shaped charge warheads. In a matter of microseconds, the system activates a protective sector and neutralizes the incoming object by means of directed energy immediately before it reaches its target. Because it operates in a downward direction, ADS is the only high-performance close-quarters protection system that minimizes collateral damage in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle.