Oshkosh Defense, a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services, has won an order worth $243 million from the US Army for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme.

The company is a unit of Oshkosh Corporation, a leading industrial company that designs and builds specialty trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies and access equipment.

The order, which will serve both the US Army and Marine Corps, includes 657 vehicles, 25 trailers, 2,977 installed kits and related support, said a statement from the company.

The JLTV programme remains a top priority for the Department of Defence, filling a critical capability gap for the US Army and Marine Corps by replacing a large portion of the legacy up-armored HMMWV fleet with a modern light protected vehicle.

The JLTV provides unprecedented protection and off-road mobility, as well as transportability via air, land and sea. The production contract calls for Oshkosh to deliver a total of nearly 17,000 vehicles, as well as kits and services over an eight-year period with first vehicle delivery in October 2016. The vehicles, trailers and installed kits for this order will be delivered by first quarter FY18.

The Oshkosh JLTV delivers the latest in automotive technologies, the Oshkosh Core1080 crew protection system, and the Oshkosh TAK-4i intelligent independent suspension system to provide the ultimate combination of protection and mobility.

The JLTV Family of Vehicles is comprised of two variants, a two seat and a four seat variant, as well as a companion trailer (JLTV-T). The two seat variant has one base vehicle platform, the Utility (JLTV-UTL). The four seat variant has two base vehicle platforms, the General Purpose (JLTV-GP) and the Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC). The Oshkosh JLTV is scalable and adaptable to future missions and unknown threats for decades to come.

Wilson R Jones, president and chief executive officer, Oshkosh Corporation, said: “The JLTV programme is providing our soldiers and marines with the world’s most capable light tactical vehicle.”

“The Oshkosh JLTV will be the platform our troops depend on to keep them safe as they perform future military operations outside-the-wire,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service