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Dutch Special Forces Order Defenture Diesel Quads

Defenture military quad [© Defenture: Dutch Defence Press]
Tiel-based mobility solutions manufacturer Defenture BV has signed a contract for the delivery of 249 military diesel quads for the Dutch Special Forces.

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Press Release, Tiel, 06 August 2020: On 6 August, Defenture signed the contract for the supply of 249 military diesel quads with the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Defenture, together with its partner W-Tec from Neede, will develop this special military quad between 2020 and 2024, test prototypes and build them in series. The contract has the possibility for the Dutch Defence to have another 120 quads built at Defenture.

Defenture BV and W-Tec military diesel quad [© Defenture: Dutch Defence Press]

This quad will be developed especially for the Ministry of Defence on the basis of a prototype previously commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, which will be fitted with a diesel engine and automatic gearbox. This quad is currently being delivered in one variant and is suitable for transport by helicopter and meets the highest degree of mobility, a unique strength of Defenture that has already proven itself in an earlier delivery of the VECTOR to the Dutch Special Forces.

Together strong: Defenture’s partner W-Tec was created by the enormous knowledge and experience that the Winkelhuis brothers have built up historically with their father in this company. The design of the 4-wheel steering that meets the mobility requirements for military personnel is ‘business as usual’ for W-Tec. The specific requirement to integrate a diesel engine with an automatic transmission in a quad with a limited weight has been seized with two hands by W-Tec, partly to demonstrate what we are technically capable of in the Netherlands. In order to realise the military diesel quad, W-Tec will develop a special automatic gearbox based on existing automotive products. Defenture and W-Tec have combined their skills and expertise to create the best possible mobility solution for the client.

Defenture BV and W-Tec military diesel quad contract signing [© Defenture: Dutch Defence Press]

Dutch Defence Industry: For the assembly of these 249 and optional 120 quads, Defenture has already made preparations to assemble them in its own production hall in Tiel. This assembly will be carried out in the same high-quality process manner as Defenture did for VECTOR, of which almost 80 vehicles were produced between 2017 and 2020. This order creates 40 man-years of work for Defenture and W-Tec in its companies. Together with the delivery, a maintenance contract has been signed for at least 10 years after the delivery of the last diesel quad, whereby it has been agreed with Defence that Defenture itself will maintain 70 quads on behalf of Defence.

The award of this order to a cooperation of Dutch companies shows that the quality in combination with the economic feasibility in the Dutch manufacturing industry can be superior to other systems in the world.

International orientation. “We are particularly proud of the award of the order and the cooperation with W-Tec. This contract is good for employment in the Netherlands and fits extremely well with the vision and strategy we have outlined. This strategy is to become a world leader in the development of tactical 4×4 vehicles with high mobility in the vehicle weight class of 0.5 to 9 tonnes. From 2013 we have developed the VECTOR, which is derived from the GRF platform, together with the Dutch Ministry of Defence. With this vehicle we have an international reputation, it is seen as the reference in the tactical vehicle segment. We have translated the experience from the VECTOR into a strategy with which we have focused on new Dutch and similar international Programmes. We are now participating in and working on various international Programmes that could lead to additional assignments in the short term. As a result, we look to the future with great confidence”, says director Henk van der Scheer.

Defenture VECTOR as used by Dutch Special Forces [©Bob Morrison]

Defenture creates mobility and security for the military: Defenture and W-Tec are committed to innovation and reliability. They have proven their ability to turn customer questions into outstanding products with a solution-oriented vision. This approach will also be reflected in the realisation of the contract for the military diesel quad and will once again make the Dutch military proud of a 100% Dutch military vehicle with high mobility. In addition to the Dutch order, Defenture also sees international demand for similar vehicles. This offers opportunities for Defenture to position the military diesel quad from the Dutch manufacturing industry internationally in the market.

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