WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today applauded the award of a $1.27 million contract to Taylor Defense Products in Louisville to develop a prototype for a modernized Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) for the U.S. Army.

The Taylor Defense prototype to modernize the V1 Variant of the RTCH is part of the Army’s mission to replace obsolete components. The company will work to incorporate new technology to increase RTCH capabilities and extend the system service life of the vehicles. 

“Taylor Defense makes some of the best heavy-duty equipment in the world, right here in Louisville, Mississippi,” Wicker said. “This award is an opportunity for Taylor Defense to show the U.S. Army it has the capability to equip our soldiers with top-tier container handlers that can operate in any environment worldwide.”

“Our military benefits from the quality vehicles built by Taylor Defense workers in Mississippi. These container handlers ensure the services will be well-equipped wherever they’re deployed,” Hyde-Smith said. “It’s exciting that Taylor Defense has an opportunity to produce a modern prototype that can provide the Army with a vehicle that can be used for years to come.”

“The Taylor Defense team is so proud to continue to win contracts with the U.S. military and have the opportunity to show what we can do and always have done to provide the best products and long term support for our customers. We thank the Mississippi delegation for their help in supporting Mississippi jobs,” said Robert Taylor, president of The Taylor Group of Companies.

Taylor Defense received the “task award” via an Other Transaction Authority agreement with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium.  It will produce a single Modernized RTCH Prototype, using a government-provided RTCH V1 platform. The contract also calls for the delivery of two modernized RTCH Kits that can be applied in the field.

In June 2019, the U.S. Navy selected Taylor Defense to repair and maintain all-terrain cranes for the Marine Corps, a contract worth up to $84 million over 10 years.