Oshkosh beat a team made up of Lockheed Martin Corp and Britain's BAE Systems Plc , as well as AM General, a privately held company that built the original Humvees. It's been a long wait for Oshkosh as the decision has come after a three-year investigational phase.
The car will replace the long standing Humvee and according to the U.S. Army will be larger, more mechanically reliable and safer. All the firms had submitted 22 prototypes which were subjected to a lot of testing before arriving at any decision. The Army anticipates receiving its first units in 2018, with a procurement period that runs until 2040.
Oshkosh has a long history of producing military vehicles and it managed to convince the U.S. Army about its product by providing a brand-new design which met their requirement. Oshkosh will make a four-wheeled truck which fits a very stringent category. The Humvee replacement will be able to carry two or four personnel that is resistant to mines and roadside bombs, but also is light enough to be carried by air.
The first three years of JLTV production will see an output of 17,000 vehicles. 5,500 of which will be for the Marine Corps. The Army plans to acquire 49,909 of the vehicles and has the option of choosing another contractor for future production runs.
Image Source: Reuters
