Bukkehave to provide Toyota pick-up trucks to Syrian allies

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Bukkehave has received a $10.2 million contract to provide Toyota HiLux pick-ups and spare parts in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent in Syria.

The company was chosen from 12 bids received through the Internet, the Pentagon said Thursday in a press release.

Work on the contract will be performed in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with an estimated completion date of December 2018. Army fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $10.2 million were obligated at the time of award.

The Toyota HILux is a series of light commercial pickup trucks that is manufactured in Japan. It comes in a variety of cab models and has been produced since 1976.

The truck is a popular model across much of the Middle East and Central Asia due to its reliability and high mobility. It is in widespread use by infantry in many military units as transport and light weapons carriers known as technicals.

Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve is a multinational operation to combat the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria. Partners include Arab and Kurdish militia groups across the region, as well as the Iraqi Army.

The United States and other nations have provided weapons and vehicles for the fight over the last several years.