The Oshkosh joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV) was developed by Oshkosh Defence for the US Army and Marine Corps. It is developed to replace the ageing fleet of High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV/Humvee).
The JLTV programme was initiated by the US Armed forces to find a new highly capable vehicle to substitute the iconic Humvee. The US Army issued a request for proposal for the development of vehicles under the JLTV programme in 2012.
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Lockheed Martin, AM General and Oshkosh Corporation were awarded contracts to build prototypes for the programme.
Oshkosh JLTV development details
Oshkosh delivered its first JLTV prototype, based on the light combat tactical all-terrain vehicle (L-ATV), in August 2013. The prototype has undergone a number of inspection tests conducted by the Defence Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and the US Army.
After completion of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, Oshkosh Corporation was selected ahead of Lockheed Martin and AM General and was awarded a $6.7bn eight-year production contract for the development of JLTVs in August 2015.
The production contract includes low-rate production for three years and full-rate production for the remaining five years. Oshkosh will deliver 17,000 light tactical vehicles to the Army and Marine Corps, under the contract.
The development was stalled in September 2015 when Lockheed Martin filed a lawsuit with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to re-evaluate the contract. The court, however, denied Lockheed’s request and the works resumed in February 2016.
Oshkosh delivered seven JLTVs to the Army and Marine Corps (USMC) for testing in October 2016.
Orders and deliveries
Since the production contract was awarded in 2015, over 7,500 total vehicles have been delivered to the US Army, the USMC, the US Air Force, and the US Navy.
Oshkosh was awarded a $176m contract by the US Army for 409 vehicles, 1,984 installed kits, 82 packaged kits, as well as associated support and services, in January 2017.
The US Army placed a $195m order for 748 JLTV platforms, and 2,359 installed and packaged kits in August 2017. A $177m contract was awarded for 611 JLTVs in September 2017.
The US Army further placed a $100.1m contract for 258 vehicles in December 2017 and a $106m order for 416 vehicles in February 2018. In June 2018, the US Army ordered 1,574 JLTVs valued at $484m. Nearly 1,600 JLTVs were delivered to the US Army and the USMC as of June 2018.
Full-rate production of the JLTVs began in June 2019 and the USMC approved the JLTV for initial operating capability (IOC) in August 2019.
In February 2020, the US ordered 1,240 JLTVs and associated kits worth $407.3m. The order includes JLTVs for the USMC, Slovenia and Lithuania as well as kits for the US Army, USMC, Slovenia and Lithuania.
The US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal placed a $127m order for 248 JLTVs and associated kits in July 2020. The ordered vehicles are intended for use by the US Army, USMC and State Department vehicles.
Oshkosh JLTV variants
The Oshkosh JLTV is being offered in four variants, including a utility vehicle with two doors, a general-purpose vehicle, a weapon carrier for combat requirements, and a heavy guns carrier vehicle.
The vehicles can be installed with a range of armament and communication systems to meet the mission-specific requirements. The JLTV prototypes were showcased at multiple exhibitions, including Gulf Defense and Aerospace (GDA) exhibition and conference held in December 2017 and Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2017 annual meeting and exposition held in October 2017.
The US Army awarded $61.8m to produce trailers for the JLTV in June 2020. The modification will expand the available trailer options under the new contract for the JLTV family of vehicles from 32 to 3,541. The JLTV- Trailer (JLTV-T) will offer the same superior off-road performance and reliability. JLTV-T deliveries are expected to be concluded in 2021.
Oshkosh JLTV armament
The general-purpose JLTV can be armed with a Boeing compact laser weapon system (CLWS) and a Kongsberg Protector LW 30 remote weapon system (RWS) with an M230LF cannon or a Samson dual-stabilised remote weapon system (RWS) with M230 LF gun.
The utility variant can be installed with a Boeing short-range air defence (SHORAD) launcher integrating an M299 launcher with four Hellfire missiles and an M3P .50 calibre machine gun.
Oshkosh JLTV crew protection system
The CORE1080 crew protection system aboard the JLTV enhances passenger survivability. The crew protection system optimises the vehicle safety by integrating advanced engineering techniques. The vehicle offers MRAP-level protection against blasts under the hull.
It also integrates a gunner protection kit, thermal and electromagnetic visual systems, a weapon systems integrator, jammers and automatic fire extinguishers.
JLTV engine and mobility
The JLTV is powered by a Duramax V8 turbo-diesel engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. It is equipped with a TAK-4i intelligent suspension system, which delivers a superior ride experience across different terrains.
The suspension can be adjusted using internal controls based on the terrain type.
