By Ann Roosevelt

Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Oshkosh Corp. [OSK] Feb. 20 announced they have selected Israel’s Plasan, a leading developer and manufacturer of add-on armor systems for the military and commercial market, to assist with the design and engineering of the armor for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.

The Defense Department plans to acquire the JLTV for use by the Army and Marines, and issued the Request for Proposal Feb. 5 (Defense Daily, Feb.6).

Other defense contractors are expected to offer bids. Lockheed Martin [LMT] and BAE Systems have joined forces. AM General and General Dynamics [GD] have formed a team. Boeing [BA] and Textron Marine & Land Systems [TXT] also joined to compete. Navistar International Corp. [NAVZ] and BAE also intend to compete for the program.

JLTV will be expected to consist of a multi-mission family of vehicles with trailers and designed to provide protected, sustained, networked mobility for personnel and payloads across the full Range of Military Operations.

Three contract awards are expected in July for the planned 27-month Technology Development Phase during which the JLTV prototypes will be developed and tested. A System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase beginning in 2011 is currently planned for the JLTV.

Northrop Grumman and Oshkosh on Jan. 8 announced the companies had teamed to compete for the JLTV program (Defense Daily, Jan. 9).

If selected, Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems sector will be the prime contractor and systems integrator. Oshkosh Truck’s Defense Group will be responsible for designing, engineering and manufacturing the vehicle, including the armor system.

“Plasan specializes in the design of armor protection systems,” Dani Ziv, CEO of Plasan, said. “We are pleased to be designing an armor solution exclusively with Oshkosh Corporation for the JLTV program.”

“Oshkosh Corporation Defense Group has demonstrated that it has the technology and expertise to design and build some of the world’s toughest military trucks,” John Stoddart, executive vice president, Oshkosh Corporation and president, Defense Group, said. “By teaming with Plasan, we will be able to deliver a JLTV concept that meets the survivability and mobility needs of soldiers and Marines.”

The JLTV program requires integrated armor protection and the ability to incorporate add-on armor kits. Plasan’s armor is used in the majority of Mine Resistance Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

Oshkosh and Plasan have previously partnered to develop a successful solution for the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) program; more than 2,000 armored vehicles are in theater. This design also was chosen as the Marine Corps Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) A-Kit and B-Kit solution.