It will transport pallets, provisions, ammunition and weapons, and soldiers will also find a place in it. This week the Army took delivery of the last three Tatra 815-7 vehicles out of 209. The new off-road trucks will be used by units across the Czech Army, with the largest package of 30 being acquired by members of the Deployable Forces Support Battalion Rakovník and the 15th Engineer Regiment Bechyně. The last three Tatra trucks were officially received today in Štěpánov by representatives of the Regional Military Commands Liberec, Plzeň and Ústí nad Labem.

Picture: The army this week took delivery of the last three Tatra 815-7 vehicles out of a total of 209 | kpt. Jakub Moravec

The contract for 209 Tatra 815-7 6x6 heavy trucks in a flatbed version, worth more than CZK 1.9 billion excluding VAT, was signed by the Deputy Minister of Defence for Armaments and Acquisitions Lubor Koudelka on 24 August 2022. Last year, Tatra Trucks a.s. delivered 200 units, and this year the remaining nine.

"Since we have been cooperating with Tatra for several years, and the company has met some of the specified technical and legislative parameters, there was no reason not to include these Czech machines with an excellent reputation around the world in our fleet," said Jan Kolafa, director of the Air Force Armament and Logistics Department of the Armaments and Acquisitions Section. "We expect that we will continue to develop our cooperation with Tatra Trucks a.s. and today's handover will not be the last," he added.

The current variant, nicknamed Force, was added to the Czech Army's fleet in 2017 as a replacement for older models. There are currently almost three hundred of them in the army. "The modern version of the Tatra 815-7 has quickly become very popular. And no wonder, because it is a standard-equipped vehicle with good driving characteristics," says the deputy director of the Logistics Agency, Col. Vít Watroba.

Picture: Signing of certificates | kpt. Jakub Moravec

Tatra chassis, a safe bet

"Our concept was born in the 1920s and has not yet been surpassed. The principle is the use of a central support tube and axles with independently suspended swinging semi-axles bolted together. Over the years, this concept has been brought to today's original solution, which gives Tatra vehicles exceptional capabilities in traversing even the most difficult terrain, which our army urgently needs," emphasised Tomas Mynarcik, Director of Defence Projects.

The vehicle is designed for a 1+3 crew, and there is no lack of filtration equipment, holders for demining, dosimetric and chemical instruments. The crew also has an air-conditioning and heating unit and independent heating.
If we focus on the appearance of the vehicle, we do not miss the typical olive color with interesting features. The matt paint resists climatic influences, combat poisoning agents, decontamination agents and corrosion.

The Tatra 815-7 6×6 can handle comfortable driving on the road, but also longer operations in rugged terrain or flooded areas. It can handle temperatures from -32 °C to +49 °C with relative humidity up to 98%.

The entire colossus is literally pulled by an air-cooled, supercharged, 12.7-litre diesel V8 engine that delivers 300 kW at 1,800 rpm.

The overall impression of the vehicle is described by the driver from the Regional Military Command Pilsen, who praises especially the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. "You can tell that you are driving a new Tatra. Thanks to the unique chassis, you can feel better wading, we have ABS, more advanced brakes and a smaller turning radius, so even less experienced drivers can get behind the wheel."

Technical and tactical data

Type: T-815-7 FORCE 6×6 flatbed
Engine: V8 diesel
Capacity: 12 667 cc
Supercharging: turbocharger
Max. power: 300 kW (407.8 hp), 2 100 Nm
Transmission: 14-speed
Max. speed: 110 km/h (limiter set at 85 km/h)
Driving range: up to 850 km
Combined fuel consumption: 49 l/100 km
Length: 9 540 mm
Width: 2 550 mm
Height: 3 410 mm
Ground clearance: 420 mm
Wading clearance: 1 500 mm
Payload: 15 600 kg
Total weight: 29 000 kg