The Israeli Ministry of Defense on Jan. 11 announced plans to purchase 200 tactical trucks from Oshkosh [OSK].

The deal, valued at $52 million, is for 200 of the company’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, or FMTVs. The contract award was made public by the ministry’s U.S. Directorate of Production and Procurement and the Israeli Defense Forces Technological and Logistics Directorate.

“We are pleased that the Israel Ministry of Defense (MoD) is committed to acquiring the Oshkosh Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) to fulfill their mission requirements” an Oshkosh spokesman told Defense Daily in an emailed statement. ” The Oshkosh FMTV is currently used by the US and many allies around the world – setting the standard for logistics vehicle performance and value.  The Oshkosh FMTV plays a critical role in military and national security operations including moving troops and supplies, recovering vehicles, and hauling weapons and equipment.”

U.S. military aid funding – part of a total $38 billion planned for the next decade – will cover the truck purchase.  

Israeli press reports indicate the deal is the first of potentially several purchase agreements that could solidify Oshkosh as the supplier of IDF utility trucks for decades. The FMTVs, which are standard utility vehicles used by the U.S. Army, will replace the IDF’s six-decade-old fleet of REO utility trucks.

Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs)
Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs)

Trucks deliveries are scheduled to start in 2017 and continue through mid-2018. The deal also includes contractor-provided maintenance services in Israel. Older Oshkosh trucks are already in the Israeli inventory. They were purchased as war surplus from the U.S. government during retrograde operations from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The IDF bought six FMTVs and put them through a series of tests before deciding to buy a larger quantity.

The deal gives a leg up to Oshkosh in the international tactical truck market. The company is the incumbent producer of FMTVs for the U.S. Army and is under a $409 million contract to build 1,661 of them through July 2018.

FMTVs entered service in 1996 but have undergone significant upgrades and the number of variants has increased considerably since then. The trucks have been manufactured by a series of companies beginning with Stewart and Stevenson. Armor Holdings took over before BAE Systems assumed responsibility and they are now built by Oshkosh [OSK], which also is building the Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle that replaces a portion of the Humvee fleet.

Now, the Army again is shopping for an upgraded model.

The Army in October issued a request for proposals for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) model A2, which is an upgrade to the long-term armoring strategy A1P2 model that allows bolting varying levels of armor to the cab and chassis. Truck manufacturers are expected to deliver proposals to the Army this month.

Plans are to award on seven-year firm fixed price and cost-plus fixed fee contract that involves five base order years with two one-year options. To maintain the testing schedule, the first FMTV A2 test vehicle must deliver to the Army 450 days after contract award, according to the RFP.

The Army plans to order 285 light MTVs in three variants, 2,116 MTV trucks in 13 variants and 23 trailers in three variants. There are 17 existing variants within the FMTV fleet, all built on a common chassis.

Vehicle manufacturers that have been locked out of the program are expected to pitch vehicles and/or kits for the FMTV upgrade program. Incumbent Oshkosh did not respond to requests for comment on its plan to retain the Army’s business.

AM General, which built both the Humvee and the current Army and Marine Corps fleets of M939 heavy cargo trucks, plans to enter a vehicle in the competition. That company, which lost JLTV to Oshkosh, has been racking up significant contracts for sustainment and international sales of the Humvee.

Navistar Defense, builder of mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles called the MaxxPro, also is expected to participate. Mack, maker of commercial tractor-trailer trucks also is likely to participate.