Discover why Rheinmetall’s new HX3 CTT truck could change US Army's logistics for decades.

At AUSA 2025, American Rheinmetall Defense and GM Defense presented the HX3 Common Tactical Truck, developed for the U.S. Army’s Common Tactical Truck program, which will replace 40,000 heavy trucks.

At the AUSA 2025 exhibition in Washington, D.C., American Rheinmetall Defense introduced the HX3 Common Tactical Truck (HX3 CTT), a core contender in the U.S. Army’s Common Tactical Truck program, a $14 billion initiative to replace approximately 40,000 heavy tactical trucks. Co-developed with GM Defense, the HX3 CTT is based on Rheinmetall’s HX3 series and configured for U.S. Army requirements, including drive-by-wire functions, leader-follower autonomy, and cybersecurity-hardened data systems. Furthermore, the prototype displayed included Invariant’s counter-UAS module, illustrating the HX3 CTT's role in both logistics and defensive operations.
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The HX3 CTT answers the US Army's call for an open, autonomy-ready digital backbone, embeds smart functions to reduce the accident risk, and offers a high scalability across cargo, load handling, tanker, recovery, and line-haul roles. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

American Rheinmetall Defense showcased the HX3 Common Tactical Truck (HX3 CTT) alongside other major programs such as the Lynx XM30, Ox UGV, Skyranger 762 air defense, and RCH 155 howitzer. Developed jointly by American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense, the HX3 CTT was presented as a key component of the U.S. Army’s Common Tactical Truck (CTT) program. The vehicle displayed included Invariant’s CWS-A counter-unmanned aircraft system module, illustrating its adaptability for multiple mission profiles including logistics support and perimeter defense. The demonstration underlined how the HX3 CTT integrates commercial automotive technologies, modular armor protection, and digital control systems designed to enhance mobility and survivability within contested environments while remaining compatible with U.S. industrial standards for military production.

The Common Tactical Truck program was initiated to replace the U.S. Army’s aging fleet of heavy tactical trucks, which face challenges such as rising maintenance costs, technological obsolescence, and limited interoperability with commercial logistics platforms. The legacy fleet includes trucks such as the M915, M1088, and Palletized Load System vehicles that lack common parts, digital interfaces, and emission compliance. To address these gaps, the US Army launched a multi-phase modernization initiative emphasizing modular design, open systems architecture, and improved crew safety. The CTT program is structured as a rapid prototyping effort through the middle-tier acquisition pathway, supported by Other Transaction Authority mechanisms, to accelerate the integration of modern technologies. Its objective is to produce up to 40,000 vehicles over time, valued at approximately $14 billion, providing a new standard for heavy logistics mobility within the Army’s modernization strategy.

The development of the CTT program followed assessments by the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command and Tank-Automotive Command, which identified modernization of the logistics fleet as critical for sustaining operations in high-threat and dispersed environments. The Army defined its requirements around modularity, autonomy, and digitalization to reflect evolving battlefield conditions, including contested logistics in both European and Indo-Pacific theaters. In 2022, four industrial teams were selected to build prototypes under competitive agreements. Among them, American Rheinmetall Vehicles partnered with GM Defense, combining Rheinmetall’s experience with military truck design and GM’s commercial manufacturing capabilities. In early 2024, the team delivered three HX3 CTT prototypes for the program’s initial evaluation phase, which assesses technical performance, production scalability, and digital architecture integration prior to down-selection for low-rate initial production.

The U.S. Army’s requirements for the Common Tactical Truck (CTT) encompass a broad range of technological and operational parameters aimed at improving safety, performance, and efficiency. Each candidate platform must include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane departure warning, and fatigue monitoring to reduce accident rates and improve operational endurance. Enhanced off-road mobility, cybersecurity hardening, and a modular cab protection system are mandatory to support sustained operations in combat and logistical environments. Fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and improved lifecycle sustainability are additional criteria aligned with long-term Department of Defense environmental and readiness goals. The CTT must also feature an open electrical and software architecture enabling integration of autonomy packages, leader-follower capabilities, and digital logistics systems while maintaining standardized parts across variants to reduce maintenance complexity.

The HX3 CTT, derived from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles’ HX3 series, serves as a next-generation iteration of a truck family already fielded by 20 nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and New Zealand. The HX3 generation was developed as a comprehensive redesign of the previous HX2 series, retaining the core structural strengths while incorporating a digitalized architecture and improved ergonomics. The HX3 CTT presented at AUSA 2025 is configured in an 8×8 layout powered by a MAN D26 Euro V/VIe diesel engine compatible with NATO-standard F34 fuel. Transmission options include ZF TraXon automated and ZF Ecolife fully automatic gearboxes, supporting gross vehicle weights between 43 and 56 metric tons. The protected cab accommodates three occupants and maintains a vehicle height under 4.00 meters, a fording depth of 1.5 meters, and full operational performance within a −32 to +49 degrees Celsius temperature envelope, ensuring deployment flexibility across global operational conditions.

The HX3 CTT’s design integrates an open digital backbone that supports drive-by-wire technology and autonomous operations, further aligning with the US Army’s stated objective for future-ready logistics platforms. The electrical system architecture allows rapid adaptation for leader-follower convoy operations and teleoperation, with provisions for future transition toward fully autonomous logistics vehicles. The inclusion of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems supports safer operation under fatigue, complex terrain, or limited visibility conditions, enhancing both soldier safety and mission continuity. The truck also incorporates cybersecurity protections to safeguard mission-critical data networks and supports a digital blackout mode to reduce its electronic signature when required. These features collectively align with the Army’s intention to embed digital and automation capabilities into its ground mobility assets while retaining operator control flexibility.

Like many of Rheinmetall's vehicles, survivability and structural adaptability are central elements of the HX3 CTT’s engineering. The vehicle’s modular armored cab provides scalable ballistic and blast protection levels depending on mission and theater, supported by improved visibility through enlarged glazing surfaces. Rheinmetall’s design incorporates the Integrated Armor Cabin and the Universal Torsion-Resistant Subframe, which decouples the chassis from torsional forces affecting payloads such as radar systems or shelters, increasing reliability in rough terrain. The chassis is compatible with automated load-handling systems, allowing single-operator container or flat-rack loading directly from the cab, reducing crew exposure during resupply operations. The family’s consistent component layout across 4×4 to 10×10 models enables unified training, maintenance, and logistics management, which supports the Army’s objectives for a standardized and maintainable fleet.

GM Defense contributes its commercial production capacity and rapid prototyping expertise to the HX3 CTT program, drawing on the industrial infrastructure of General Motors to ensure scalability and quality control. GM’s experience with the Infantry Squad Vehicle, which advanced from prototype to production in 120 days, provides a precedent for agile manufacturing under defense timelines. The HX3 CTT leverages GM’s supply chain and manufacturing processes to produce validated components at commercial throughput levels, ensuring cost-effective sustainment and reduced obsolescence risk. The integration of commercial content enables rapid incorporation of new technologies and ensures the continued availability of parts across the production lifecycle. This industrial collaboration also reinforces the Army’s goal of revitalizing the domestic defense industrial base while ensuring that modernization efforts are aligned with existing commercial standards and practices.

The HX3 CTT meets all of the Common Tactical Truck program’s operational and technical expectations by combining a proven platform (the HX) with new digital, safety, and automation features. For instance, its open systems design and modular configuration could provide the US Army with flexibility for upgrades and variant adaptation over decades of service. The truck’s 8×8 architecture, powertrain compatibility with standard fuels, modular armor, and wide operating temperature range collectively fulfill the US Army’s technical and environmental demands. Its global user base ensures interoperability and combined logistics with NATO allies, while the U.S.-based industrial production model supports domestic employment and sustainment capacity. The HX3 CTT thus provides a mature, adaptable, and industrially supported option that aligns with the US Army’s modernization path toward a unified, efficient, and technologically current tactical truck fleet capable of evolving with future mission requirements.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.