LUXEMBOURG - The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has completed a project to deliver 142 MB UNIMOG U-5000 5T tactical trucks to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
After a successful cooperation between the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania and the Agency, the contract was awarded to Daimler Trucks AG in October 2019, for the delivery of 142 MB UNIMOG U-5000 5T tactical trucks. The contract also included logistical support, documentation, specialized tools, testing equipment and other services.
"The NATO Agency can amass the requests from across NATO and carry out a large-scale acquisition, as a result, the price per unit was considerably lowered", stated Mr Sigitas Dzekunskas, Director of the Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence, during a handover ceremony celebrated on 22 October. According to the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania, the acquisition through the NSPA saved Lithuania 18 MEUR.
The project started in November 2019 and despite the COVID-19 adverse conditions during the trucks production and assembly, the tactical trucks were delivered on time and within budget to the Lithuanian Armed Forces' satisfaction.
The new tactical trucks will be delivered to the Lithuanian Land Force. They will replace outdated UNIMOG vehicles and supplement a fleet of vehicles with the same technical characteristics. These trucks are among the most used vehicles in the Lithuanian Armed and are is used for routine tasks, logistical support, personnel transportation.