M35A2, Truck, Cargo, 2½ Ton, 6×6

M35A2, Truck, Cargo, 2½ Ton, 6×6. . , The M44 family of 2½ ton trucks has the distinction of being the longest serving series of vehicles ever procured by the US Military, the most common variant being the M35 cargo truck. Designed and produced by REO, the M35 gave the Army a durable truck that was both easy to operate and maintain. REO was rewarded for their hard work after the Korean War when the Army decided to stop producing the GMC 2½ ton trucks in favor of their M44 family.

In the 1960s, however, the Army wanted the M35 to have a multi-fuel capability in order for it to use diesel as well as gas. The gas engine was replace with a multi-fuel engine in the M35A1, but the engine selected was quickly found lacking the power that the Army was hoping for. While able to operate with numerous fuels, the engine did not function well with any single fuel. The M35A2 model, built by Kaiser-Jeep in the early 1970s, used the new LDT 465-1 engine complete with a turbo to ensure power. The M35A2 model ultimately became the most common model of the M35 cargo truck line. The M35A2 fleet was augmented in the early 1990s with the M35A3 - rebuilt A2s with a Cummins diesel engine and an automatic transmission.

Starting in the mid 1990s, the M35 was phased out in favor of the LMTV (Light Medium Tactical Vehicle). The sheer number of M35s and other vehicles of the M44 family in service guaranteed that they would continue to serve into the 21st Century. Some units supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom deployed with M35s and other vehicles of the M44 family in service guaranteed that they would continue to serve into the 21st Century. Some units supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom deployed with M35s, 50 years after the first vehicles of the class were produced.