Army places $100 million order for JLTVs

By Ashley Tressel  / December 21, 2017

The Army has ordered 258 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and 1,727 associated components from Oshkosh Defense for a total of $100.1 million, according to a Dec. 20 Defense Department announcement. The estimated completion date for the contract award is May 31, 2019.

The JLTVs were commissioned to replace the Army's aging humvee fleet, with a focus on using lightweight materials.

Dave Diersen, Oshkosh Defense's vice president and general manager of Joint Programs, said the company is confident there will be opportunities to expand the vehicle platform to include new variants and configurations in the future.

The program is on schedule, currently in low-rate initial production, and the contractor has delivered more than 1,000 vehicles since October 2016. The LRIP vehicles are undergoing a spectrum of government testing, and soldiers and Marines are expected to start receiving JLTVs for operational use in fiscal year 2019, according to the company's release.

Inside the Army reported in July that the Army planned to equip the infantry brigades first once it began fielding the JLTVs. Col. Shane Fullmer, JLTV project manager, stated in June that an infantry brigade combat team in the 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum, NY, would be the first to receive them.

A full-rate production decision is anticipated in FY-19, with Army and Marine Corps initial operating capability following in early FY-20.