Oshkosh to rebuild 454 battlefield trucks and vetronics to like-new in $259.6 million land vehicle orders
WARREN, Mich. – U.S. Army logistics authorities are asking military vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh Defense LLC in Oshkosh, Wis., to rebuild 454 heavy battlefield trucks and related vetronics to like-new condition under terms of three separate land vehicle orders announced last week collectively worth more than a quarter billion dollars.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command in Warren, Mich., are asking Oshkosh to rebuild 454 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT), as well as provide rebuilt palletized load systems, self-recovery winches, and new PLS trailers under terms of contracts worth $259.6 million.
Oshkosh will recapitalize, or "recap" these heavy trucks, which means to rebuild the vehicles to like-new condition to upgrade and extend the service life of these military trucks.
The recap process is to extend a vehicle's service life, reduce its operating and support costs, enhance its capabilities, and improve its system reliability, maintainability, safety, and efficiency.
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The Oshkosh HEMTT is an eight-wheel-drive, diesel-powered, 10-short-ton tactical truck that's been in the Army inventory since 1982. The HEMTT is designed to provide heavy transport capabilities for supply and re-supply of combat vehicles and weapons systems on the battlefield.
The large battlefield truck has a militarized commercial engine and transmission, and has an optional centrally mounted self-recovery winch. Its two-person cab is armored to protect the occupants from small-arms fire and shrapnel.
The HEMTT truck models involved in these orders are the M1977A4, M984A4, M978A4, M985A4, M983A4, and M1120A4.
The M1977 HEMTT is a common bridge transporter used for loading, transporting, and unloading ribbon bridge components and bridge erection boats. The M984 is a wrecker with recovery winch, vehicle retrieval system, materials handling crane.
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The M978 is a water and fuel tanker truck, while the M985 cargo truck is designed to support the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and Patriot missile. The M983 is a tractor unit for use with the Patriot missile system or the Interim Stryker Recovery System, and other trailers, as well as to transport construction and engineer equipment.
The M1120 is a load-handling system variant of the HEMTT for loading, transporting, and unloading ribbon bridge components and bridge-building boats.
On these orders Oshkosh will do the work in Oshkosh, Wis., and should be finished by August 2018. For more information contact Oshkosh Defense online at https://oshkoshdefense.com, or the Army Contracting Command at http://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-wrn.
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John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
