Oshkosh Defense [OSK] announced Monday it has received a three-year, $146.8 million contract extension to continue delivering new and recapitalized trucks for the Army’s heavy tactical vehicles fleet. 

The latest deal covers 353 Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicle (FHTV) vehicles, and includes Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks, Palletized Load System trucks and trailers, and Heavy Equipment Transporters.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. – A heavy expanded mobility tactical truck (HEMTT) prepares to recover another vehicle that has been immobilized by a mock improvised explosive device during a combat support training exercise at Fort McCoy, Wis., Aug. 21, 2016. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Clinton Massey, 206th Broadcast Operations Detachment)

“For decades we’ve worked closely with the U.S. Army to modernize the FHTV fleet, and we are honored that they’ve called on us to continue to provide our Soldiers with these mission critical vehicles,” Pat Williams, Oshkosh Defense’s vice president of U.S. Army and Marine Corps programs, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the U.S. Army to further modernize the FHTV fleet in support of current and future missions.”

The extension builds on the FHTV IV contract the Army awarded to Oshkosh in 2015, and follows a $346.4 million order for recapitalized trucks last March (Defense Daily, March 30 2020).

The Army’s round of ‘night court’ savings in its FY ‘21 budget, to shift funds from low priorities to modernization included reducing FHTV funding (Defense Daily, Feb. 11 2020).

“If you look at the fleet densities right now, it’s a place where we can take a bit of risk conceptually. We’re going to wait a bit to replace trucks because we’re satisfying most of the heavy fleets,” John Daniels, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Plans, Programs, and Resources, said at the time.