General Tactical Vehicles (GTV), a joint venture between AM General and General Dynamics [GD], yesterday announced their Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) this week.

“GTV is committed to providing a highly reliable, survivable, mobile, supportable and transportable JLTV that balances the protection, performance and payload requirements for the Soldier and Marine customers,” Don Howe, GTV program director, said. “I am confident that the GTV Team will deliver a JLTV family of vehicles that provide our Warfighters more capability and protection.”

GTV, formed to compete to develop and produce the Army-Marine Corps’ JLTV, is the first JLTV contractor to complete the CDR, a major program milestone that entails a detailed review of the design solutions to the multi-tiered customer requirements for the JLTV Family of Vehicles.

A Lockheed Martin [LMT]-BAE Systems team and a BAE-Navistar International Corp. [NAVZ] entry are also in the hunt for the potential $40 billion JLTV development (Defense Daily, Oct. 30, 2008).

GTV is now transitioning into the vehicle and trailer build and test phase for the JLTV units deliverable to the government in the spring, under its technology development contract awarded last October.

Using mature system engineering processes, GTV successfully demonstrated a design approach that balances JLTV requirements and mission capabilities focused on supporting and protecting the warfighter.

These mature and proven processes ensure GTV’s JLTV can meet government requirements with flexibility, agility and confidence.

The GTV CDR follows the recent early delivery and successful government testing of GTV JLTV armor coupons.