Bryant: JLTV provides 'long-term stability for the Oshkosh workforce'

As the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program begins to ramp up, Oshkosh is already starting to see international interest, according to a company executive.

John Bryant, senior vice president of defense programs at Oshkosh, told Inside Defense this week the company is accelerating production "in a very deliberate manner."

The company last month received a $243 million contract modification for 657 JLTVs.

"There'll be another low-rate initial production order that we expect next year," Bryant said, contrasting the program's approach to that used to procure the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle. "It's a more deliberate and more traditional defense acquisition program."

He said JLTV offers "long-term stability for the Oshkosh workforce. As some of the U.S. programs ramp down over the next few years, the JLTV program ramps up."

Bryant said the company has already seen interest from international customers, but those sales would likely come later. In the short-term, Oshkosh is pursuing international sales for M-ATV, and Bryant said the company is "working the details" of an order to a country in the Middle East "for significant quantities."

"We see additional opportunities, particularly in the Middle East," he said of M-ATV. "That demand has certainly not dropped off at all."