Germany has ordered 56 additional Elefant 2 heavy-duty transporters from Rheinmetall to expand its armed forces’ heavy equipment transport fleet.
The contract, worth approximately 60.5 million euros ($68 million), calls for the company to deliver the vehicles in 2026 and 2027.
The latest order builds on a seven-year framework agreement that originally covered up to 137 Elefant 2 transporters. Under that deal, the government first ordered 32 vehicles, with deliveries completed by early 2025.
Rheinmetall said the agreement has now been extended to meet increased demand.
The HX81 Elefant 2 is designed to transport heavy armored vehicles across long distances, a capability that has become increasingly important as Germany strengthens its role as NATO’s logistics hub in Europe.
Powered by a 680-horsepower eight-cylinder diesel engine, the four-wheel-drive transporter has a top speed of 89 kilometers (55 miles) per hour and can climb gradients of up to 60 percent. It can move loads with a gross combination weight of up to 135 tonnes (297,624 pounds).
Rheinmetall Expands Germany’s Logistics Fleet
The Elefant 2 order is the latest in a series of Rheinmetall efforts aimed at modernizing the armed force’s logistics.
In July, Rheinmetall assumed leadership of the latest phase of the Interoperable Robotic Convoy program, advancing the development of autonomous military convoys capable of operating with minimal human intervention.
In June, the company partnered with ERC System and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to establish domestic production of the Victor U250 hybrid-electric cargo drone, strengthening Germany’s unmanned aircraft manufacturing base and supply chain.
The effort builds on an August 2025 contract under which Rheinmetall was selected to deliver more than 1,300 logistics vehicles to the armed forces, expanding the military’s transport fleet with protected and unprotected tactical trucks.
