Lockheed Martin’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme director Kathryn Hasse confirmed at AUSA Winter, Huntsville, AL/USA, that the company is ready to begin low-rate production of the new vehicle should it be selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) later this year. She said that the decision was expected between July and September with the first deliveries due 300 days after the award.
Work would be carried out at Lockheed Martin’s Camden, Arkansas facility where it also manufactures the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets.
The JLTV is a joint requirement between the US Army and the US Marine Corps to acquire a replacement vehicle for the Humvee. The total order will be over 55,000 vehicles: 5,500 for the USMC; 600 for the US Navy; and the remainder being taken by the US Army. The first 17,000 vehicles will be delivered during three years of low-rate production followed by five years at full-rate production. Production is expected to last until 2040.
“We have demonstrated our ability to the government to produce these vehicles,” said Hasse. She added that Lockheed Martin/BAE Systems JLTV is the only one of the three contenders to have been in the programme since the technical development phase back in 2006. “We started with a clean sheet of paper - designing the cab first then the power train and suspension around that.”
“We have been very busy over the last six months, concluding the engineering, manufacturing and development phase,” stated Hasse. This period also brought to a conclusion reliability and performance testing, as well as the completion of the limited user test.
Weighing in at around 15,000lbs, the JLTV can be transported by the Army’s CH-47F CHINOOK and the inkling USMC CH-53K, although it is too heavy for the MV-22B OSPREY.
In addition to Lockheed Martin’s JLTV, the other two contenders awaiting the final decision are AM General's Blast Resistant Vehicle-Off road (BRV-O) and Oshkosh's Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV).
According to Secretary of the Army John McHugh, the JLTV will be a priority if sequestration continues in FY 2016. In the current President’s FY16 budget request, $456.9 million is allocated for Army and Marine RDT&E and Procurement funding for the JLTV.
Work would be carried out at Lockheed Martin’s Camden, Arkansas facility where it also manufactures the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets.
The JLTV is a joint requirement between the US Army and the US Marine Corps to acquire a replacement vehicle for the Humvee. The total order will be over 55,000 vehicles: 5,500 for the USMC; 600 for the US Navy; and the remainder being taken by the US Army. The first 17,000 vehicles will be delivered during three years of low-rate production followed by five years at full-rate production. Production is expected to last until 2040.
“We have demonstrated our ability to the government to produce these vehicles,” said Hasse. She added that Lockheed Martin/BAE Systems JLTV is the only one of the three contenders to have been in the programme since the technical development phase back in 2006. “We started with a clean sheet of paper - designing the cab first then the power train and suspension around that.”
“We have been very busy over the last six months, concluding the engineering, manufacturing and development phase,” stated Hasse. This period also brought to a conclusion reliability and performance testing, as well as the completion of the limited user test.
Weighing in at around 15,000lbs, the JLTV can be transported by the Army’s CH-47F CHINOOK and the inkling USMC CH-53K, although it is too heavy for the MV-22B OSPREY.
In addition to Lockheed Martin’s JLTV, the other two contenders awaiting the final decision are AM General's Blast Resistant Vehicle-Off road (BRV-O) and Oshkosh's Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV).
According to Secretary of the Army John McHugh, the JLTV will be a priority if sequestration continues in FY 2016. In the current President’s FY16 budget request, $456.9 million is allocated for Army and Marine RDT&E and Procurement funding for the JLTV.
Andrew Drwiega at AUSA Gobal Force, Huntsville, AL
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