This year, the main air bases of the Air Force of the Czech Armed Forces are gradually acquiring completely new fuel trucks and fuel semi-trailers, intended for refueling of the Czech Air Force or allied military aircraft. This is the fulfillment of the contract from March 2020, when the Deputy Minister for Armaments and Acquisitions of the Ministry of Defense Lubor Koudelka then signed a contract for the supply of 7 fuel trucks and two fuel semi-trailers for CZK 252 million (including VAT). The supplier is the state enterprise VOP CZ, s. P.

Picture: Highly mobile heavy fuel truck | TATRA TRUCKS / CC BY-NC-ND

The Army will receive a total of 7 pieces of CAPL-16M1 fuel trucks on the chassis of the TATRA 815-7 8 × 8 car (the volume of the fuel truck is 16 thousand liters of fuel, the dispensing system allows to fill one aircraft with a flow of up to 800 liters per minute) and 2 pieces of fuel trailers CNS sets with a tractor on the chassis of the TATRA 815-7 6 × 6 car. The tank of one semi-trailer can then hold at least 34,000 liters. The semi-trailer and superstructure are manufactured by Kobit, spol. s r. o.

The main goal of the acquisition of fuel trucks is to ensure the timely transport, storage and refueling of not only aircraft operated in the Czech Republic, but also aircraft deployed abroad in military operations in cooperation with NATO.

The purchase of modern fuel vehicles should increase safety, environmental friendliness, economy and, last but not least, the smooth operation of the aircraft. The simplification of logistics, as well as the reduction of operating and interoperability costs, will be ensured for fuel vehicles, for example by unification on already established bogies suitable and approved for operational use. Thanks to the new Tatra chassis, refueling of equipment can also take place in less accessible areas, such as field airports or meadows.

At present, the Army uses old T 148 CAPL-15, 17 fuel trucks, and more modern Tatras T 815 on a 4x4 and 6x6 chassis (CAP 6M and 6M1, CAPL-16M and CA-18).

The first piece of the CAPL-16M1a fuel truck and CNS fuel semi-trailers with a tractor traveled to the 24th Air Force Base in Prague-Kbely. In the end, a total of 2 fuel trucks and both fuel sets will serve there.

Picture: The first piece of the CAPL-16M1 fuel truck on a TATRA 815-7 8 × 8 chassis (pictured) and a CNS fuel semi-trailer set with a tractor traveled to the 24th Air Force Base in Prague-Kbely. | Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic

Another 21 CAPL-16M1 fuel trucks were received in July by the 21st Tactical Air Force Base in Čáslav and later the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměšť nad Oslavou received 2 fuel trucks. The 22nd base will later receive the 3rd vehicle.

Should the Czech Army show interest in more fuel trucks in the future, the contract also includes an option to purchase another 18 vehicles (15 CAPL-16M1 trucks and 3 CNS semi-trailers) in the years 2022-2024.