Oshkosh CEO: JLTV award changes how DOD views company

Oshkosh's win in the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program is not only a "game-changing" deal for the company, but also has altered how the Pentagon sees Oshkosh, the contractor's chief executive said this week.

Speaking at a Credit Suisse conference, Wilson Jones said the company's defense segment "is going to be a big driver of growth for us going forward."

"It's nice to be talking about defense again," he said, noting that the company expects its international sales to spike in fiscal year 2016 as it delivers Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles to the Middle East.

The JLTV win, which is still under protest, will provide "long-term positive outlook and also long-term free cash flow," he said.

"The whole program can go up -- a little over 30 years -- to 55,000 vehicles. That's the U.S. program," Jones said. "But if you take a step back and look at humvees around the world, there's over 240,000 of these around the globe that are going to be opportunities for us going forward."

At the same time, the JLTV award has changed the Pentagon's view of Oshkosh, he added.

"We're a technology leader now," Jones said, pointing to Oshkosh's production of the vehicle's armor.

He also took a moment during the conference to ensure attendees don't mistake the company for OshKosh B'gosh.

"We are the company that moves the world at work," Jones said. "We're not the little, cute, blue overalls for the kids. We're the truck company. We do get confused with that every now and then."