Oshkosh Defense [OSK] has begun production of its Light Combat Tactical All Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) chosen for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Army-Marine Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
“Oshkosh is building our JLTV offering on a flexible and integrated production line using proven lean manufacturing processes, a rigorous Oshkosh quality-assurance system and an efficient supply chain to deliver mature vehicles, ready for government testing,” said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “We have also completed our start-of work meeting with the government, and we will stay in close touch throughout the program with ongoing meetings and reviews.”
Oshkosh Defense is competing with Lockheed Martin [LMT] and AM General on the program that is expected to replace Humvees and offer more protection, performance and payload.
Oshkosh has said its JLTV provides a balance and unmatched off-road mobility while meeting stringent transportability and protection requirements.
The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations, allowing the vehicle to easily adapt to operational requirements, the company said in a statement.
Because the JLTV production phase is years out and will only replace a portion of the existing HMMWV fleets, Oshkosh Defense is offering Humvee modernization options that can improve the aging vehicles’ mobility and protection for warfighters today and into the future.
Humvee upgrades and the L-ATV are on display through Wednesday at the Association of the United States Army annual conference in Washington.