JLTV, humvee would get more funding in Army FY-19 budget

The Army's fiscal year 2019 budget request seeks a jump in funding for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and a slight increase for the humvee. New this year, the service is seeking to procure a portion of humvee ambulances with Overseas Contingency Operations dollars.

Procurement of 3,390 JLTVs accounts for $1.3 billion, in base funding only, about a $500 million increase from last year. Oshkosh Defense, the JLTV's manufacturer, will be awarded the FY-19 order in December, with the first delivery scheduled for October 2019. The Army's objective is to procure a total of 49,099 trucks of various configurations with increased protection and performance and maximum commonality over the current humvee fleet.

Additionally, the Army is requesting $71 million for 248 ambulance variants for the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve. Of those, 73 are funded in the OCO account for $20.8 million.

"Recent natural disasters highlight the need for reliable and capable utility vehicles to enable the Guard and Reserve to mobilize rapidly to respond immediately to state and national needs," the budget justification document states.

The service intends to replace up to 3,688 humvee ambulances.