Oshkosh prevails over AM General and Lockheed Martin to build JLTV armored combat vehicle
WARREN, Mich., 26 Aug. 2015. U.S. Army armored combat vehicle experts are choosing Oshkosh Defense LLC in Oshkosh, Wis., to build the U.S. military's next-generation light battlefield vehicle to replace the venerable Humvee, in what is expected to be one of the most lucrative military vehicle programs over the next decade.
Selection of Oshkosh and its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program ends a years-long competition that pitted Oshkosh against military vehicle rivals AM General, Lockheed Martin for the potential $50 billion JLTV program to replace the High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).
Officials of the Army Contracting Command in Warren, Mich., announced a $114.7 million contract to Oshkosh on Tuesday for JLTV low-rate initial production (LRIP) and full-rate production. That contract has options that could increase its value to $6.7 billion.
The contract has eight options for Oshkosh to build the first 16,901 vehicles for the Army and Marine Corps. As with most contracts of this magnitude, it is likely that losing contractors AM General and Lockheed Martin will protest the award, which could delay production for months. The contract was awarded on behalf of the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren, Mich.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) wants to buy 54,599 JLTVs -- 49,099 for the U.S. Army and 5,500 for the U.S. Marine Corps. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that the DOD will spend more than $53.3 billion on the JLTV program -- $1.1 billion for research and at least $52.3 billion for procurement.
The Oshkosh L-ATV winning entry in the JLTV competition is a light utility and combat multi-role vehicle that is expected to deliver a level of protection similar to that of current, but far heavier and less maneuverable, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) class designs, and much better than the latest armored HMMWVs.
The JLTV has two variants -- a two seat and a four seat variant, as well as a companion trailer (JLTV-T). The Oshkosh vehicle offers the Core1080 crew protection for survivability, turret operated systems, remote weapons systems, and tube launched missile system.
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The Oshkosh JLTV is based on the company's TAK-4i intelligent independent suspension system that adjusts ride-height type with as much as 20 inches of wheel travel. The vehicle also has the digitally controlled General Motors Duramax V8 cylinder 6.6-liter diesel engine.
The vehicle can be fitted with light, medium, and heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, smoke grenade launchers, or anti-tank missiles, operated from ring mounts or a remote weapon station. On this contract Oshkosh will do the work in Oshkosh, Wis., and should be finished by August 2024. For more information contact Oshkosh Defense online at http://oshkoshdefense.com.
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.
