Oshkosh Corp.’s [OSK] Defense division submitted its MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) and SandCat vehicle as part of two proposals with Plasan SASA Ltd., and JLG Australia for the Australian Department of Defence’s (DoD) Land 121 “Overlander” Phase 4.
The Land 121 program’s Phase 4 involves the procurement of 1,300 Protected Mobility Vehicles-Light (PMV-L).
The M-ATV, which Oshkosh Defense produces for the U.S. Armed Forces, is a well-protected and highly mobile combat vehicle. Using the Oshkoshr TAK-4r independent suspension system provides a 70 percent off-road mission profile capability on unimproved roads and rugged off-road terrain. The SandCat is a lightweight and versatile protected vehicle that features a durable modular armor system, which can be configured to meet a mission’s threat level and payload requirements. Oshkosh submitted the SandCat’s Transport variant for the program.
“Our M-ATV and SandCat offerings provide two separate but equally viable high-quality options for the Australian Defence Force,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corp. executive vice president and president, Defense. “We have a successful history of working with Plasan to integrate state-of-the-art armor on our mission-proven vehicles. The manufacturing capabilities that our sister company JLG brings to the proposals will benefit the customer with in-country vehicle assembly and aftermarket service and support.”
Both the Oshkosh M-ATV and SandCat feature advanced armor systems developed by Plasan, a renowned designer and manufacturer of combat-proven armor solutions. Most of the armor will be produced in Australia. Plasan developed and produced the armor used on more than 5,000 Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP) vehicles and thousands of Armored Cab Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements.
JLG, a division of Oshkosh Corp., would use its Australian facilities for vehicle assembly and to provide integrated logistics support for the program. The Oshkosh Defense global operations include service, repair and parts distribution, in addition to in theaters operation.
The M-ATV was designed to successfully operate in the most challenged environments. Its superior mobility is achieved through the Oshkosh TAK-4 system, which has undergone more than 400,000 miles of testing with the U.S. military. The U.S. government has ordered 5,219 M-ATVs to date to meet the urgent need in Afghanistan.