Army continues effort to revitalize heavy battlefield trucks fleet with new orders to Oshkosh
WARREN, Mich. – U.S. Army logistics authorities are continuing their effort to revitalize the Army's fleet of heavy battlefield trucks with orders collectively worth $170.5 million last week to Oshkosh Defense LLC in Oshkosh, Wis., to rebuild 423 heavy battlefield trucks, as well as vetronics, trailers, and related heavy transport equipment to like-new condition.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command in Warren, Mich., are asking Oshkosh to rebuild different models of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), as well as provide rebuilt palletized load system trailers and self-recovery winches.
Oshkosh will recapitalize, or "recap" these heavy trucks and related equipment, which means to rebuild the vehicles to like-new condition for upgrading and extending the service life of these military trucks and transport equipment. Last month Oshkosh won contracts collectively worth $259.6 million to recapitalize 454 heavy battlefield trucks and related equipment.
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.
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 last week's orders are the M1074A1 and M1075A1 palletized load systems (PLS); M985A4 HEMTT trucks; M985E1A4 guided missile transporters; and M984A4 and M983A4 recovery vehicle wreckers. The contract also is for 42 new M1076A0 PLS trailers and 61 M984A4 self-recovery winches.
The Army's heavy truck recapitalization orders to Oshkosh in April involved the M1977 HEMTT common bridge transporter; M984 wrecker; M978 water and fuel tanker; M985 cargo truck; M983 tractor unit; and Palletized Load System.
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The Oshkosh Palletized Load System cargo truck and trailer secures as many as 10 supply pallets with a total load capacity of 16.5 tons. The vehicle has a hydraulic arm and cargo hook for loading and unloading. The M985A4 HEMTT truck is designed to support the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and Patriot missile.
The Oshkosh M985E1A4 guided missile transporter is for the delivery, recovery, and loading of guided missiles. It removes spent missile canisters from the launcher and replaces them with fresh missiles. The M984A4 and M983A4 recovery vehicle wreckers are designed to recover vehicles bigger than 10 tons -- even those mired in mud, sand, water, or snow.
On last week's contracts Oshkosh will do the work in Oshkosh, Wis., and should be finished by January 2019. For more information contact Oshkosh Defense online at https://oshkoshdefense.com, or the Army Contracting Command-Warren 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.
