Georgian Defence Forces sign deal to update transportation fleet with modern trucks

The Georgian Defence Forces troops will replace their ageing transportation with trucks produced by leading European and American brands, with the Ministry of Defence of Georgia signing the deal to provide servicemembers with up-to-date hardware.

Over 500 trucks will be delivered to the GDF by German-based MAN as  well as Italian-based IVECO and United States-based Ford, three of the companies equipping armed forces of NATO member states.

The ministry signed the deal for the "special designation transportation vehicles" with respective companies and said the purchase of the vehicles would see an upgrade of the Georgian military's logistical capabilities to NATO standards. The expenses for the purchase will be covered by the MoD over a number of years.

The current truck fleet cost "millions" of Georgian lari for maintenance and repair annually, making the new deal a "significant decision for cost efficiency", the ministry added.

Minister of Defence Irakli Garibashvili announced plans to replace ageing GDF hardware - including but not limited to transportation - earlier this month when he spoke about challenged revealed by the military's contribution to ensuring screening and quarantining efforts during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Garibashvili later told the Georgian parliament the GDF would replace their truck fleet - featuring 20 to 30-year-old vehicles - throughout the rest of the year, in addition to equipping all regular units with modern M4 rifles and restoring air force assets.