Oshkosh Defense [OSK] on Wednesday said it has delivered three Oshkosh P-19 Replacement Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle prototypes to the U.S. Marine Corps to undergo testing.
“We delivered three P-19R
prototypes in December and will support them as they undergo rigorous government testing through this summer,” said John Bryant, senior vice president of Defense Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “The Oshkosh P-19R will replace the fleet of Oshkosh P-19A ARFF vehicles, which were first fielded with the Marine Corps in 1984 and are reaching the end of their service lives. With this vehicle, we’ve rolled into one platform our decades of experience producing military and ARFF vehicles to give Marines more advanced firefighting capabilities.”
In late May, the Marine Corps Systems Command selected the Oshkosh P-19R, awarding a $192 million support and sustainment contract for the Corps’ off-road firefighting vehicle of the future.The work is expected to be completed by May 2018, with an estimated total of 200 vehicles (Defense Daily, Sept. 24).
Photo: Oshkosh Defense
The next-generation Oshkosh P-19R is based on the proven Oshkosh Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) platform. It incorporates the latest tactical wheeled vehicle technologies to support fire emergency missions at military bases and expeditionary airfields.
As part of the latest technologies in the vehicle, the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension system will give Marines greater all-terrain performance for off-runway emergencies, the company said. The Oshkosh Command Zone™ integrated diagnostics and automation system helps crews carry out firefighting missions with increased situational awareness.
Oshkosh Defense leveraged the expertise of its Oshkosh Airport Products Group, the industry-leading ARFF vehicle producer, to equip the P-19R with the advanced Striker® firefighting systems. The P-19R also meets the modern requirements of the NFPA 414 standard, which sets the design, performance and acceptance criteria for ARFF vehicles.
Oshkosh will display the P-19R at Marine West, Jan. 29-30, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.