Manitowoc Cranes is to supply customised Grove GMK4100B all-terrain cranes to the US Army under a five-year US$192 million deal signed recently.
The contract from the US Army Contracting Command, which handles the army’s material acquisitions, includes a two-year option at its completion that could bring the total to US$258 million.
The GMK4100Bs will have a 54-tonne capacity and feature a 33m boom. Its 390 horsepower (291kW) Mercedes engine will provide to a 8x6x8 drive system. A two-step transfer case will also increase agility at low speeds.
Military-specified customisations include the ability to ford water up to 122cm, be able to withstand harsh conditions, and to operate a variety of attachments, including pile drivers, clamshells, concrete buckets and concrete barrier lifters. There is also a crew protection system.
Each crane will be painted in Army colours and have the capability to be fitted with armour.
The Engineer Brigades division of the US Army will operate the cranes, but similar units will be available for procurement by other branches of the military.
Manitowoc is designing and building a simulator and writing technical manuals for the cranes. The company says it will provide field representatives that can offer the soldiers field-level support “at any time, anywhere in the world” through its Crane Care service.
The customized GMK4100Bs will be built and tested at Manitowoc’s factory in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. The first deliveries are anticipated to be between one and two years from now.
“We’ve been working on this opportunity for more than four years,” Manitowoc Cranes director of government marketing Darryl Mellott says. “The US Army had direct input on the customisation of these Grove GMK4100Bs, which will be optimised for their missions around the world.
“These cranes will be especially transportable, reflecting the nimble manoeuvrability of the US military,” he adds.
In Australia Manitowoc operates sales offices in Sydney and Brisbane. The Grove, Manitowoc and National Crane dealer for South Australia is RMB Engineering, while WATM looks after Grove in Western Australia.