ARA confirms second order for Benz G-Wagen

Mercedes-Benz has received an order from the army for 950 more units of the Project Overland Gelanderwagen
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The Australian army has decided to go ahead with a second order, comprising of 950 units of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, taking the total fleet acquisition above 2100.

While the option of ordering the additional vehicles was always on the cards, it's a reflection of the army's satisfaction with the offroader's performance in the field and is also a feather in the cap for two local firms involved in the contract, GH Varley and Haulmark. Module supplier Varley is a Newcastle-based firm celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, just like the vehicle builder. A well-known name in the industry, Haulmark provides the trailers.

"The deal's worth about $400 million, of which the local component... is over a hundred million," Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy told motoring.com.au.

McCarthy, Senior Manager Corporate Communications for the importer, said that the confidence of the army in the local suppliers "proved that Australian manufacturers, for these modules and these trailers... [are] absolutely competitive."

"In the partnership with us, we've learnt from them, they've learnt from us..." said McCarthy, who also described the locally-manufactured product as "world class".

The additional vehicles ordered will be supplied in parallel with the initial batch of 1200.

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