FWD 66TT50/66TT60

     Notes: These two semi-tractors were designed as a private venture in hopes of sales to the US military.  They did not enjoy such sales, but reportedly 200 of these two semi-tractors, along with FWD 3ST50 tank transporter semi-trailers, have been sold to an undisclosed country.  They are conventional-layout trucks, with an engine compartment up front, a central cab with seating for three (and little else), and a fifth wheel at the rear.  A winch is mounted at the rear of the cab, with a capacity of 45.36 tons and 76 meters of 25-millimeter cable.  The cab is equipped with a heater, defroster, dual air horns, and a rotating light on top of the cab, in a color of the buyer’s choice.  Both trucks have power steering.  The 6TT50 is powered by a Cummins NTC-350 developing 350 horsepower or a Detroit Diesel 6V-92A developing 330 horsepower. The suspension is 6x6 and designed for off-road use and equipped with air brakes and parking brakes (on the rear axle only).  Twin tow hooks are located on the front and rear of the vehicle.  Other equipment present on these trucks include an air compressor with 7.5 meters of hose and tipped for use in inflating tires, a spare tire on the left side of the vehicle next to the winch, a 20-ton-capacity hydraulic jack, and a set of basic tools.  The two versions are essentially the same in size and appearance, but the 66TT60 version uses a more powerful engine (either a Cummins NTC-400 developing 400 horsepower or a Detroit Diesel 8V-92TA developing 435 horsepower), fuel tanks almost double the size of the 66TT50, a strengthened frame and fifth wheel, and a greater towing capacity.

ConDiesel M123

     Notes: This Mack design was introduced in the early 1950s, and is basically a version of the M125 cargo truck.  The design was later bought by Consolidated, but production stopped long ago.  It was replaced in the US military in the mid-1970s by the M911, and taken out of service; Spain, the only other user, still keeps some of them in reserve, but it is no longer in active service in that country.

     The M123 is conventional-layout semi-tractor with an engine compartment under a hood up front, a central cab, and a rear area with winch and fifth wheel.  The cab is simple, with seating for three (and room for very little else), a removable canvas roof, and a forward-folding windshield.  Behind the cab is a winch with a capacity of 20.55 tons; this winch is powered by the truck’s engine and when it is in use the throttle of the truck is controlled from the winch platform.  Suspension is 6x6 and designed for off-road use; the suspension is equipped with differential braking to help the M123 make tighter turns, and the wheels are also equipped with air brakes.  There is a towing pintle in the rear of the M123, enabling it to tow standard trailers if necessary.   The engine of the M123 is a Le Roi T-H844 297-horsepower gasoline engine, coupled with a manual transmission with six speeds. The engines have an intake manifold heater to assist in starting the engine in cold weather; the M123 can be started up from a cold start in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius.  The standard M123 is compatible (and can actuate) trailers with air brakes, but a conversion kit is available to allow the M123 to actuate brakes on trailers using electrical brake connections. The spare tire is carried high on the right side, behind the cab and above the gas tank. The spare tire mount includes a small crane to aid in handling the heavy tire and wheel.

     Variants of the M123 include a model with dual winches behind the cab (also called the M123), the M123C, with a single winch but with the fifth wheel mounted low (the fifth wheel on the standard M123 and the dual-winch M123 are mounted high), the M123D, which is the same as the M123C but has dual winches, the M123A1 which uses a 300-horsepower diesel engine instead of the M123’s gasoline engine, and the M123A1C, which is an M123A1 with a low-mounted fifth wheel.

Ward LaFrance M746 HET

     Notes: The M746 HET (Heavy Equipment Transporter) design goes all the way back to the abortive US/West German MBT-70 tank design.  The M746 was the US candidate for the semi-tractor portion of the tank transporter for the MBT-70.  The M746 was originally a joint design between Chrysler, Faun, and Krupp, but when the MBT-70 project fell through, Chrysler finished the M746 design but sold the design to Ward LaFrance, who sold them first to the US Army in between 1975 and 1977.  Later, sales to Morocco followed.

     The M746 is a rather large truck with a forward-control cab.  The cab has a hatch on the roof over the right side of the cab, but it has no weapon mount and the roof is not reinforced to accept one.  The cab itself is very small and has little enough room for its three crewmembers, let alone any of their personal equipment (which is normally strapped to the outside of the vehicle).  To the rear of the engine compartment are a pair of winches, each with a capacity of 27.22 tons and 45.72 meters of 25-millimeter cable.  The M746 is powered by a Detroit Diesel 12V-rged diesel developing 600 horsepower, coupled with a Twin Disc TADC-51-2012 powershaft transmission. The suspension is 8x8, off-road capable, and has power steering and a transmission with power-assisted shifting (though it is a manual transmission).  The rear axles have locking differentials.  The brakes automatically adjust to the traction conditions and also have antiskid features.  The M746 has twin spotlights mounted forward of the winches, alongside the engine compartment which is located just to the rear of the cab.

Oshkosh M911

     Notes: This semi-tractor is based on the Oshkosh F-2365 civilian semi-tractor, and is basically a militarized version of that vehicle.  The M911 was introduced in 1976, and is in service with about ten countries around the world, including the US.  In addition to duties as a tank transporter, the M911 is used by those countries for duties ranging from bulk trailer transport to towing missile launchers. 

     The M911 has the standard truck layout of a front-mounted engine under a hood, a central cab, and a rear area with the fifth wheel.  The cab includes an adjustable seat for the driver and a bench seat beside it.  The cab may have a removable hard top or a canvas roof.  The windshield wipers are equipped with a hot water spray supplied by 22,000-BTU hot water heater and there is also a defroster.  All wheels on the three axles have airbrakes; the front wheels and the rear two sets of wheels have separate air systems, so that the vehicle still has brakes if one system fails.  Each system is capable of braking at up to 80% power.  The engine is a Detroit Diesel 6V-92TA turbodiesel delivering 450 horsepower; a later reengining gave the M911 a more powerful 500-horsepower engine. The transmission is fully automatic, with automatic systems which prevent an upshift or downshift at speeds where it would be dangerous.  The suspension is 8x6 and off-road capable.  Behind the cab are two winches, each with a capacity of 20.41 tons.  In addition, there are rear decklights, a spare tire in a carrier, a towing hook, for standard trailers, a hydraulic jack, and a tire inflation hose that is fed by an internal air compressor.  The M911 also includes a pair of spotlights and fog lights.  Air conditioning for the cab is optional.

Oshkosh M1070 HET

     Notes: The M1070 HET (Heavy Equipment Transporter) was specifically designed to transport tank transporters carrying the M1A1 Abrams, with deliveries starting in 1992, and production continuing to this day.  In addition to the US Army, Egypt also uses the M1070 to transport its M1A1as and other semi-trailers.  The M1070 is an 8x8 vehicle with an off-road capable suspension and central tire inflation.  The transmission is automatic.  The axles are grouped with one at the front and three at the rear, each with single tires.  The cab is of a semi-cabover type, with a short hood (though the engine is under the crew compartment; the engine is accessed through the front of the vehicle and the short hood, however.  The cab has two rows of seats, with the front having individual seats for the two crewmembers of the truck and the rear having a bench seat usually occupied by the crew of the tank being transported, along with a space behind the seats for crew and passenger equipment.  The standard tank transporter trailer which is towed is the M1000, though the M1070 is capable of towing other military semi-trailers.  The M1070 has two 25-ton-capacity winches behind the cab, along with a spare tire carrier. The M1070 is powered by a Detroit Diesel 8V92TA with electronic ignition controls developing 500 horsepower, coupled with an Alison CLT-754 automatic transmission.

     In 1997, the M1070E1 variant was developed, with a more powerful Detroit Diesel Series 60 DDEC III turbodiesel engine developing 600 horsepower, and other improvements.  This version was not accepted for use by the US Army due to budgetary reasons (but is included below for completeness), but was offered to the British to fulfill their need for a semi-tractor to transport the Challenger 2 tank (along with the M1000 trailer.  Unfortunately, the engine did not meet the needs of the British (it was judged to not be powerful enough, considering the Challenger 2’s eventual weight), and so Oshkosh developed the M1070F.  This version has an even more powerful Caterpillar C18 turbodiesel engine developing 700 horsepower, coupled to an automatic transmission with 7 gears instead of the five of the M1070, as well as a manual override for the transmission.  It has also been modified to British right-hand drive.  The M1070F has antilock brakes and traction control.  This version was accepted by the British Army, where it partially replaced the Scammell Commander, with deliveries starting in 2002 and finished by 2004.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M1070F does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.  The M1070E1 was placed into production as the M1070A1 in late 1995, but few examples actually were built, and even fewer made it overseas, all to US units.

Mack RD8226SX

     Notes: This is a militarized version of the civilian Mack RM6006S range of semi-tractors.  It is not capable of carrying some of the world’s heavier tanks, but may tow most tanks in the world, in addition to a wide variety of other semi-trailers.  The standard military cab has an individual driver’s seat (which has its own suspension to reduce driver fatigue), and a bench seat beside it for passengers.  A second row of seats or a sleeper cab is an option.  The truck also has an adjustable steering wheel and a very civilian-like instrument panel.  The engine is up front under a hood, with the fifth wheel to the rear.  The suspension is 6x6, with an off-road suspension.  This truck is powered by a Mack EE9 turbocharged diesel developing 500 horsepower, coupled with a T2100 10-speed manual transmission. At the rear is a 25-ton winch with a remote control.

     Other options for this truck are too numerous to mention.  It is in service in many of the world’s militaries. The original US Army order was based on a War Emergency during Desert Shield/Storm, and Mack was given only 20 days to fill the order, which was not enough time – they could not build trucks that fast. They barely filled that order with virtually ever RD800 series truck in inventory on Mack’s dealer lots, in the US and Canada, as well as Mack factories and assembly plants.

Navistar F5070

     Notes: Navistar (originally International Harvester) developed the F5070 as military semi-tractor version of its International Paystar 5000 series.  As such, it is better-appointed than the standard military truck, often equipped with cab air conditioning, heating, more comfortable seats (though not as comfortable as civilian seats), and sometimes even civilian commercial and/or CB radios in addition to military radios.  Otherwise, the F5070 has the minimum modifications to suit it to military use.  The transmission may be a Fuller manual transmission (with several models of Fuller transmission available, with different gear ranges), or one of several Allison automatic transmissions.  The cab is designed for three people and has a small space behind the seat for personal equipment, though most such equipment must be strapped to the outside of the vehicle. In front of the cab is the engine compartment (the F5070 has a conventional configuration), and behind the cab are twin winches, each with a capacity of 29.5 tons and equipped with 45.72 meters of cable.  The standard suspension is 6x4 and designed primarily for road use, but a 6x6 version is also available with slightly better off-road performance and somewhat better towing capabilities.  The military F5070 is powered by a Cummins NTC-400 diesel developing 400 horsepower.

     The primary military users of the F5070 are various unnamed Middle Eastern countries, but sales have been made to other countries as well as some civilian agencies.