Oshkosh L-ATV in M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier JLTV configuration and equipped with
M153 CROWS II remote weapon system integrated with
M2 Browning .50 Caliber
heavy machine gun
The Oshkosh L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle) is a light utility/combat multi-role vehicle that won the
US military's Army-led
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. In the very early stages of the program it was suggested that JLTV would replace the AM General
High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) on a one-for-one basis. It is now suggested that the JLTV will partly replace the HMMWV, not replace it on a like-for-like basis.[5]
The L-ATV was designed to deliver a level of protection comparable to that of heavier and less maneuverable
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) class designs, these having more protection from blast than up-armored HMMWVs which they were delivered to replace on deployed operations.[5]
On 25 August 2015, the L-ATV was selected as the winner of the JLTV program.[6] The first JLTV delivery order was placed in March 2016 with the U.S. Army ordering 657 examples.[7] Overall requirements have fluctuated, but as of January 2022 were stated by Micheal Sprang, JLTV Project Director to be: Army – 49,099 (this figure has remained relatively constant); Marine Corps – 12,500 (approx.); Air Force – 2000 (dependent on funding); Navy (approx. 400).[5]
The Army received its first seven JLTVs for test at the end of September 2016.[8] In addition to the United States, three other nations currently operate the JLTV and four more have JLTV on order.[5]
The idea for the
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) first emerged in 2006 from threats experienced during the
Iraq War. The primary tactical wheeled vehicle used by the
U.S. military at the start of the war was the
Humvee. However, most were unarmored and the type (including armored examples) incurred heavy losses when
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) began being employed by insurgents. The initial response was to add armor, or more armor to armored models, and primarily on the sides. This improved side protection against direct fire and associated threats, but since the chassis was not designed to handle any further additional weight, there was little room for underbody protection. The added armor weight greatly reduced remaining useful payload capacity (within max gross weight), negatively impacted off-road mobility, compromised vehicle reliability, and greatly increased their maintenance needs (frequency, labor and parts costs).
To combat increasing numbers of
IED attacks, the U.S. spent around $50 billion rapidly procuring some 29,000
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, including the Oshkosh
M-ATV for use in Iraq and
Afghanistan. While MRAPs offered superior protection from IEDs, especially underbody blasts, they were significantly larger and heavier and had relatively poor off-road mobility. The military incorporated MRAPs in response to operational needs, but never intended them to become a permanent part of their tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. At the conclusion of operations, many thousands were either scrapped, adapted for other roles, or offered for sale/transfer to allies. Ultimately U.S. armed forces would retain over 11,100 MRAPS, just over 6,350 of these Oshkosh M-ATVs. The bulk of retained MRAPS are mothballed in prepositioned stocks around the world.[9]
Since up-armoring Humvees and buying MRAPs addressed specific issues but created gaps in vehicle capabilities, the JLTV program was started to incorporate lessons learned and balance payload, mobility, and protection into a new vehicle. Its purpose was to restore the mobility commanders had with the original Humvee, while having the side and underbody protection of a basic MRAP. It would be around two-thirds the weight of an MRAP, possible to be carried under a
CH-47 Chinook and
CH-53E Super Stallion and by amphibious vessels, things impossible for an MRAP. It would also be 70 percent faster off-road, adding to survivability by enabling it to
egress a combat situation faster. Compared to the Humvee, the JLTV was to have the mobility of early unarmored versions with greater protection than up-armored versions, along with greater reliability, payload capacity, and ease of repair. The JLTV is the first vehicle purpose-built for network connectivity into the
Warfighter Information Network-Tactical.[6][10][11][12][13]
Unveiling and testing
Oshkosh Defense first displayed the L-ATV at
Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in
Washington, D.C., on 10 October to 12 October 2011. This, the first 'public appearance' for the design, was not an open appearance and came in the form of closed combined briefings/viewings to invited attendees only. Oshkosh briefed
Jane's Independent Defense Review[14] that the L-ATV has developmental origins that trace back to 2007 and Oshkosh/
Northrop-Grumman's failed JLTV proposal, with some sub-systems having a lineage that trace back to 2005. At the time, L-ATV was the lightest tactical vehicle designed by Oshkosh, being some 50% lighter than anything previously produced by the company.
At AUSA 2011, Oshkosh suggested that following then recent program developments, L-ATV would be offered to meet the recently revitalized JLTV's EMD (Engineering & Manufacturing Development) phase.[15] On 26 January 2012, the RFP for JLTV's EMD Phase was released.[16] On 23 August 2012, the Army and Marine Corps selected the Oshkosh Defense L-ATV, as well as the
Lockheed Martin JLTV entry and
AM GeneralBRV-O, as the winners of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the JLTV competition. They were awarded a contract to build 22
prototype vehicles in 27 months to be judged by the services.[17]
On 6 February 2013, Oshkosh unveiled the Utility Variant of its JLTV offer, fulfilling JLTV's requirement for a two-seat cargo vehicle. The vehicle's performance was demonstrated at the 2013 NATC Technology Rodeo at the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC). The Utility Variant is designed to provide mobility for loads such as containers, pallets, and
break bulk cargo. It can also be outfitted as a shelter carrier to carry standard shelters for communications systems, on-board electronics, and other functions. Payload capacity is in excess of 5,100 pounds. Both Oshkosh L-ATV variants have a common crew protection system, automotive systems, and the patented Oshkosh TAK-4i intelligent
independent suspension system.[18]
In June 2013, L-ATV prototypes participated in an event hosted by the U.S. JLTV Joint Program Office in
Quantico, VA. The vehicles successfully completed the severe off-road track (SORT) without failure. The SORT demonstrated the L-ATV's ability to maneuver steep inclines, turn sharply, and operate in rugged terrain.[19] On 8 August 2013, Oshkosh delivered its first L-ATV JLTV prototype to the Army for government testing following a successful vehicle inspection by the
Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The four-door variant (which has two base platforms – Close Combat Weapons Carrier (CCWC) and the General Purpose (GP))[20] and two-door Utility Variant were provided for evaluations.[21]
On 27 August 2013, the Army and
Marine Corps announced that full-scale testing of JLTV prototypes would begin the following week, with all three vendors having had 66 vehicles delivered. Each company delivered 22 vehicles and six trailers to
Aberdeen Proving Ground,
Maryland, and
Yuma Proving Ground,
Arizona. Previous testing had already put the vehicles through more than 400 ballistic and blast tests on armor testing samples, underbody blast testing, and more than 1,000 miles in shakedown testing. Soldiers from the
Army Test and Evaluation Command and personnel from the Defense Department's Office of Test and Evaluation would begin to put the vehicles through realistic and rigorous field testing during 14 months of government performance testing. Testing was scheduled for completion by
FY 2015, with a production contract to be awarded to a single vendor for almost 55,000 vehicles (49,099 Army; 5,500 Marines). The average unit manufacturing cost in A-kit (fitted for but not with armor) configuration was not to exceed $250,000. The Army set an
Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of May 2018 and planned to complete its fielding by FY2040. The Marines had an IOC of December 2017, and planned to complete its fielding by FY2022. On 3 September 2013, full-pace, full-scope JLTV testing began at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Yuma, and
Redstone Arsenal,
Alabama. One vendor was to be selected by July 2015, and produce 2,000 vehicles for three years of additional testing to fine-tune the assembly line and full-up the system.[22][23][24][25][26]
In July 2014, the L-ATV completed Net-Ready testing as part of the JLTV program, involving transferring data from onboard systems to external networks.[27] On 17 July 2014, Oshkosh announced the L-ATV had completed 200,000 miles and all requirements for Reliability, Availability, Maintainability (RAM) testing.[28] On 19 November 2014, Oshkosh announced the L-ATV had completed Limited User Testing (LUT) with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps for the JLTV EMD contract. The LUT focused on JLTV system capabilities, functions, operations, and interfaces in a range of simulated tactical environments covering operator and crew-level preventive maintenance for the entire system, ensuring they could operate proficiently and safely. The Army held theirs the previous September and October, where three tests were held as 96-hour cycles to simulate operational missions, one of which incorporated a live fire demonstration. The Marines completed two test cycles in October and November with one live fire demonstration.[29] The Army released the final JLTV
RFP on 12 December 2014.[30] On 10 February 2015 Oshkosh Defense issued a press release announcing the company had submitted its proposal (the L-ATV) in response to the JLTV
Low Rate Initial Production (
LRIP) and Full Rate Production (FRP) RFP.[31]
On 31 March 2015, Oshkosh announced it would show its JLTV offering, the L-ATV, at the AUSA 2015 Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. The company also announced it would show its Virtual Task Trainer (VTT) for the L-ATV at the conference. The VTT is an interactive training module that provides interactive
3D training for soldiers in a safe and lifelike virtual environment. Speaking of the VTT, Mike Ivy, vice president of global integrated product support for Oshkosh Defense said: "The addition of Oshkosh's virtual training to our multi-faceted curriculum reduces the cost of operator training by improving training effectiveness and efficiency." He added: "We deployed the VTT to train operators during early JLTV testing with great results. Soldiers were really engaged, and our training was not only better, but it took less time than it would have without the VTT. This represents a significant cost savings opportunity for the government."[32]
Selection, production and fielding
On 25 August 2015, the Army selected the Oshkosh L-ATV as the winner of the JLTV program. The company was awarded a $6.75 billion low rate initial base contract with two years of Low rate Initial Production (LRIP), originally three, and eight option years to procure the first 16,901 vehicles for both the Army and Marines. The Army initially refused to detail why the L-ATV was chosen over its competitors, likely owing to anticipations of protests from the losing bidders.[6]
On 8 September it was disclosed that Lockheed Martin would protest the award to Oshkosh; on the same day it was also disclosed that AM General had decided not to file a protest. Any work that would be performed under the contract stopped during the review period.[33] On December 15 the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) dismissed Lockheed Martin's protest because the company on December 11 decided to file a “Notice of Post-Award Bid Protest” with the
U.S. Court of Federal Claims; according to a source with knowledge of the procedures, it is uncommon for a company to file with the court close to a GAO protest decision.[34] Immediately after the GAO dismissed the protest, the Army instructed Oshkosh to resume work on the JLTV order.[35] Lockheed filed their preliminary injunction on 17 December, claiming that new Army-supplied information related to the contract emerged toward the end of the GAO's protest process that was not considered before their ruling and no deadline extension was granted.[36] On 17 February 2016, Lockheed withdrew their protest of the JLTV contract award decision in the Court of Federal Claims,[37] potentially as a result of the release of JLTV testing data showing that the L-ATV lasted nearly six times longer between significant breakdown than Lockheed's vehicle.[38][39]
The first JLTV order was announced on 23 March 2016 with the U.S. Army ordering 657 JLTVs. The $243 million order included vehicles for the Army and Marines. For clarity, as part of the original JLTV LRIP/FRP Base Award in August 2015, an initial 201 JLTVs for the test and evaluation phase were ordered. The 657-vehicle order is an exercised option from the program's eight option years.[40]
In June 2017 the first US soldiers to receive JLTVs was revealed. According to the Army its first unit to receive JLTVs would be an infantry brigade combat team in the
10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and according to the Marines, a yet-to-be-identified infantry battalion within
II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, would receive its JLTVs in July 2019.[41] Also in June 2017 the Marines revealed they wished to adjust their acquisition objective for JLTV by 65% to up to 9,091 vehicles.[42]
At AUSA 2017 JLTV's were displayed in three new configurations. Oshkosh displayed a General Purpose variant fitted with a
Boeing Compact
Laser Weapon System (CLWS), a
Kongsberg Protector LW 30 Remote Weapon System (RWS) with a M230LF cannon, and a communications suite that includes a
Thales VRC-111 and Thales VRC-121 VIPER. The company also displayed a Utility variant equipped with the Boeing Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (
SHORAD) Launcher including a M3P .50 cal machine gun, M299 launcher with four Longbow
Hellfire missiles, sensor suite, and a communications suite including a
Thales VRC-111.
Rafael displayed a General Purpose vehicle fitted with the company's Samson RWS Dual Stabilized
Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) with M230 LF, and the Trophy Light
Active Protection System (APS).[43][44]
In early 2018 the Marines 2018 Planning Objective for JLTV was disclosed to be 9,091, although funding (as of April 2018) allowed for only 7,622 JLTVs through FY 2023, with deliveries concluding the first quarter of FY 2025. The Marines announced on 28 January 2019 that its first JLTV had fielded that day at the School of Infantry West at Camp Pendleton, California. The Marine Corps declared
initial operational capability for the JLTV on 2 August 2019.[45] For the Army, at AUSA 2018 Colonel Shane Fullmer confirmed the service would begin equipping its first unit with 350 JLTVs in January 2019 and complete the fielding in March 2019.
On 20 June 2019, Dr. Bruce Jette, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, approved the JLTV program's transition into full–rate production (FRP).[5]
In July 2019 an initial
Sources Sought notice (W56HZV19R0242) was issued for the A2 JLTV recompete program. Four draft Request For Proposals (RFPs) followed, these on 3 April 2020, 11 December 2020, 30 April 2021, and 29 October 2021.[5]
JLTV totals have varied over time and numerous suggestions as to ultimate totals and production increases/decreases have been touted, but as of January 2022 JLTV requirements were stated by Micheal Sprang, JLTV Project Director to be: Army – 49,099 (this figure has remained relatively constant); Marine Corps – 12,500 (approx.); Air Force – 2000 (dependent on funding); Navy (approx. 400).[5][46]
In terms of contracts and orders, the initial JLTV contract award in summation had a potential value of US$6.749 billion and called for a maximum of 16,901 JLTVs. The second and follow-on sole source to Oshkosh contract allows for 6,262 JLTVs to be ordered by November 2023. In September 2020 a Justification and Approval (J&A) for up to an additional 6,262 JLTVs was granted, the original notice (W56HZV-15-C-0095-P00282) published on 30 June 2020. This award will enable continued JLTV production, industry successfully arguing that it required up to 33 months with the JLTV TDP package to be able to respond to the A2 JLTV RfP. The up to 6,262 JLTVs approved will technically be delivered under a separate second JLTV contract, but the original contract costings and timelines remain. Final orders are to be placed in November 2023, with deliveries permitted until late 2025, but expected to conclude mid-2025. The JLTV re-compete award will allow for 15,586 JLTV when awarded.[5][46]
As of April 2022, 15 JLTV delivery orders had been placed:[5][46]
August 2015: 201 as part of the original JLTV base award and for the test and evaluation phase
March 2016: 657; value $243 million
September 2016: 130; value $42 million
January 2017: 409; value $179 million
August 2017: 748; value $195 million
September 2017: 611; value $177 million
December 2017: 258; value $100.1 million
February 2018: 416; value $106 million
June 2018: 1,574; value $484 million
November 2018: 6,107; value $1.69 billion
December 2019: 2,721; value $803.9 million
February 2020: 1,240; value $407.3 million (includes unspecified quantities for Slovenia and Lithuania as FMS)
July 2020: 248; value $127 million
November 2020: 2,679; value $884.4 million (brought the total of JLTVs ordered for U.S. forces to date to 17,731, and was technically the first order under the second contract. Also included were 59 JLTVs valued at USD23 for Brazil, Lithuania, and Macedonia, making the overall total 2,738 JLTVs)
November 2021: 1,544; value including FMS is $591 million
(all orders include unspecified quantities of training, support, kits and/or trailers)
Current U.S. Army and Marines orders are for around 19,150 JLTVs.[5]
Design
Given the competitive nature of the JLTV competition (and recompete), only limited technical detail has been released by either the US Army or Oshkosh. This directly impacts on available L-ATV technical detail. Only nominal dimensions and limited operating weight and automotive data is available.
The L-ATV is based around Oshkosh's TAK-4i (i = intelligent)
independent suspension system. Around 26,000 military vehicles are fitted with an earlier version of the system,[47] these including the Oshkosh
Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR),
Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR), and Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (
M-ATV); the TAK-4 system has also been retro-fitted to the
Force Protection IncCougar and
BAE SystemsRG-33 MRAPs.[48] The majority of systems supplied pre-JLTV have been coil-sprung. The TAK-4i version fitted to the L-ATV remains undisclosed, but is not coil-sprung and is of the variable adjustable ride-height type with up to 20 inches (51 cm) of wheel travel, 25 percent more than the current standard.[49][50][46]
Motive power is provided by a digitally-controlled Gale Banks Engineering 866T V-8 diesel, this based on the architecture of the
General Motors (GM)
Duramax LML.[4] Power output is 340
hp. In commercial use power output of the standard Duramax LML engine is currently up to 397 hp (296 kW) at 3,000
rpm. Production of the Duramax LML engine concluded in 2017, the unit replaced by the Duramax LP5. JLTV A1 models that were introduced in 2017 are powered by a derivation of this engine. The A2 JLTV will be powered by the next generation of the Duramax engine, production of the current Duramax MY2020 L5P scheduled to conclude Q3FY22. An Allison 2500SP six-speed fully automatic transmission is fitted to all JLTV. The L-ATV can be fitted with the Oshkosh
ProPulse diesel-electric powertrain, previously fitted to the Oshkosh
Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) and MTVR. According to Oshkosh literature,[51] the ProPulse diesel-electric powertrain dramatically improves fuel economy by up to 35 percent in certain circumstances and serves as an on-board generator with enough output to power an entire airfield or hospital, generating up to 120 kW of AC power for external operations; the
hybrid powertrain was not a requirement of the JLTV program.[49] A hybrid electric JLTV was unveiled in January 2022, this fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack.[46]
In a Limited User Test (LUT), the L-ATV demonstrated reliability of 7,051 "Mean Miles Between Operational Mission Failure," more than the Humvee and either other JLTV competitor.[52]
The L-ATV offers protection levels greater than those of up-armored HMMWVs and comparable to those of original MRAP class designs, but in an overall vehicle package that is considerably smaller and lighter than vehicles procured under the US Marines MRAP procurement.[53] The L-ATV is fully compliant with the US Army's Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS), based around the A-kit/B-kit
modular armor principle. The A-kit, which is installed during build, is primarily fixings for add-on armor but can include small amounts of armor fitted in difficult-to-reach areas. The B-kit is essentially the add-on armor, this added when required and as a modular add-on. According to the US Army, the A-kit/B-kit concept allows the Army flexibility in several areas: the armor B-kit can be taken off when not needed – reducing unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicles; the Army can continue to pursue upgrades in armor protection – adapting B-kits to match the threat; and the versatility of the B-kit enables the transfer of armor from unit to unit – making armor requirements affordable by pooling assets versus buying armor that is only for one vehicle.[54] Oshkosh developed the CORE 1080 crew protection system for the vehicle, comprising the hull design, armor materials, a fire-extinguishing system, and energy-absorbing floors, seats, and restraint systems for crew members and stowage.[55]
The Oshkosh M-ATV, which was procured primarily for
Afghanistan where the earlier and bigger/heavier MRAPs had mobility issues, has protection comparable to the original MRAP designs, but while smaller it still remains a relatively large vehicle. During the L-ATV design process, every component was optimized for survivability, resulting in the same level of protection in a vehicle 30 percent smaller. This resulted in a
curb weight for the JLTV requirement of 14,000 lb (6,400 kg), almost one-third the weight of the heavier MRAP (4x4) models,[56] and almost half the weight of the original MRAP models.[57]Payload allowance for the JLTV in Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) configuration was four passengers and 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of cargo, and in Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) configuration was two passengers and 5,100 lb (2,300 kg) of cargo.[58]
The base L-ATV does not have a standard armament, however it can be fitted with a selection of weapons including
light,
medium, and
heavy machine guns,
automatic grenade launchers, or
anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) depending on user requirements. The weapons can be operated from ring mounts or a
remote weapon station.[49][50] Smoke grenade launchers for self-defence can also be fitted if required.
The JLTV family and its
nomenclature evolved throughout the development process and to date the U.S. Army has allocated
M designations to four individual JLTV configurations. The JLTV family now consists of three base vehicle platforms, Utility (JLTV-UTL), Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC) and General Purpose (JLTV-GP). The Utility base vehicle platform is a two-door configuration, the General Purpose and Close Combat Weapons Carrier base vehicle platforms are a four-door configuration. Standard U.S. military M-designators are applied base vehicle platforms when outfitted to a specific Mission Package Configuration. These currently are:
M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier – General Purpose (JLTV-GP) base vehicle platform in Heavy Guns Carrier Mission Package Configuration
M1279 Utility – Utility (JLTV-UTL) base vehicle platform in Utility Mission Package Configuration
M1280 General Purpose – General Purpose (JLTV-GP) base vehicle platform in General Purpose Mission Package Configuration
M1281 Close Combat Weapons Carrier – Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC) base vehicle platform in Close Combat Weapons Carrier Mission Package Configuration
There is also a companion trailer (JLTV-T), towable by all JLTV variants.[59]
Additionally, On 11 May 2016, the Army confirmed a plan, suggested since late 2015, to use the JLTV for the Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (LRV) requirement.[60] By Q4 2020 the LRV requirement had evolved to such an extent that it excluded the JLTV, requiring a six-person crew.[46]
Oshkosh showcased for the first time the L-ATV Ambulance at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, AL, from March 26–28, 2019. The L-ATV Ambulance is based on the Utility configuration base platform and the rear can hold 4 litters or up to 8 seated patients or a combination of the two. At present the L-ATV Ambulance is not a JLTV variant.[3]
The
Belgian Army ordered 322 JLTV to replace the
Iveco LMV fleet in September 2020 for €135 million. The JLTV was ordered in two variants, 302 "VCL" (Command and Liaison Vehicle) and 20 "Médicale" (medical / ambulance), 135 CLV are to be equipped with a light weapon stations deFNder® from
FN Herstal.[61]
The first delivery to the Belgian Army occurred in January 2024. [62][63]
The
Brazilian Marine Corps signed a contract for a batch of 12 JLTV in October 2020, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026. [64][65]
The Brazilian JLTV are equipped with an Objective Gunner Protection Kit and have an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) kit armour suite and a B-kit add-on armour system.[66]
Rumours surfaced in September 2021 regarding a potential purchase of 32 additional JLTV to equip 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Marine Infantry Battalions and 12 for the Special Operations Battalion, but no additional order has yet taken place. [66] The first delivery of 4 JLTV took place in March 2023.[67][68]
The
Lithuanian Army signed a contract for a batch of 200 JLTV in November 2019.[69] An additional contract for 300 JLTV was signed in October 2022 for a total of 500 vehicles ordered. [70] The delivery of the first contract was split in 4 batches of 50 vehicles. The first delivery took place in August 2021,[71] the second in December 2022,[72] the third in May 2023,[73] and the fourth in December 2023.[74] The delivery of the second contracts is planned for 2024. [75] The variant selected by Lithuania is the M1278A1 with the main equipment being the
M153 CROWS v2 remote weapon station. This weapon station is equipped with the M2 QCB50 machine gun and a M230 TacFLIR multisensor systems. [76]
The
Armed Forces of Montenegro ordered 67 JLTV in October 2019 for USD $36.17 million. This order was completed by an order in December 2019 to Elbit for the OCRWS (Overhead Remote Control Weapon Station) weapon station at a cost of USD $35 million. [77]
The variants selected by Montenegro are 55 "M1280 General Purpose" to be fitted with the Elbit weapon station equipped with a 3-barrel
GAU-19 machine gun (calibre
12.7×99mm NATO). For the other variants, Montenegro mentions having received 10 "M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier" as of 2024. In 2024, the army announced its interest to equip 4 of the M1278 variant with a SAMSON 30 (Katlanit) turret. Also, in May 2023, Montenegro signed a contract with Israel for € 20 million regarding the supply of
Elbit 120 mm Spear Mk2 low recoil mortar systems to be installed on the JLTV (quantity unknown). Those systems are designed to be installed on the M1279 Utility variant, and therefore, with 55 in the M1280 variant and 10 in the M1278 variant, only 2 are possible with the unique order. [78]
The
Army of the Republic of North Macedonia signed a contract in 2020 for 33 JLTV to be delivered in 2022 and 2023. [79]The country has plans for 99 JLTV and options to buy a total of up to 152 JLTV by 2024.[80][79]
In July 2022, the first 6 JLTV were delivered to the Army, and the rest was delivered by year end of 2022. [81]
The Romanian government made a Foreign Military Sales request for 34 M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier for the
Romanian Special Operations Forces. This request valued at USD $43.73 million was approved by the US Congress and in July 2021, it was announced that a contract was made to supply Romania and other nations with the JLTV.[82] A complementary request was made for 95 additional M1278 HGC valued at USD $104 million for the
Romanian Army and was approved by the US Congress in March 2023.[83]
Romania received the first 33 JLTVs in November 2023.[84]
Slovenia Ministry of Defense signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the U.S. Government in October 2018 for the purchase of 38 JLTV in the M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier variant.[85] The order to Oshkosh by the US government was announced in February 2020.[86] The delivery of this batch took place at the port of Luka Koper in May 2021.[87] At that time, the minister of defence announced an interest for 99 additional JLTV. Regarding the equipment, all are to be equipped with the
Kongsberg M153 CROWS remote weapon station. These are fitted with a M2 machine gun and capable to shoot the Spike LR and Spike LR2 which are in service in the Slovenian Army. [88]
On 14 September 2021, Slovenia Ministry of Defense signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the U.S. Government for the purchase of 37 JLTV for an estimated cost was €33 million.[89] The delivery of this batch of 37 JLTV took place on 29 December 2023.[90]
In December 2022, another order for 47 vehicles obtained via Direct Commercial Sale was placed in the same variant, with a delivery planned for 2024.[91] The USA will also donate 7 JLTV as a compensation for the Ukrainian support.[92]
As of January 2024, 75 JLTV were delivered, and 54 additional are to be delivered. The plan is to reach a total fleet of 161 JLTV.[93]
U.S. Army,
U.S. Marine Corps and
U.S. Air Force – Original contract award on 25 August 2015. Overall requirements have fluctuated, but as of January 2022 were stated by Micheal Sprang, JLTV Project Director to be: Army - 49,099 (this figure has remained relatively constant); Marine Corps - 12,500 (approx.); Air Force - 2,000 (dependent on funding); Navy (approx. 400). The initial JLTV contract award had a potential value of US$6.749 billion and called for a maximum of 16,901 JLTVs. The second sole source to Oshkosh contract allows for 6,262 JLTVs to be ordered by November 2023. The JLTV re-compete award will allow for 15,586 JLTV when awarded. Current U.S. Army and Marines orders are for around 19,150 JLTVs.[94][95]
In December 2023, Oshkosh announced that the
Israel Defense Forces ordered 75 JLTV through the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) mechanism, and dozens additional were purchased via Direct Commercial Sale (DCS). [96]
In November 2023, it is mentioned in official documents that JLTV were ordered by the United States for Foreign Military Sales to the
Mongolian Army. No mention of the volume, neither the price of the order is made in the document. [97]
The Slovak Defence Ministry announced its interest for the acquisition of 180 JLTV in the M1278A1 Heavy Gun Carrier variant in March 2023, using a grant of €200 million from the United States. In May 2023, the US State Department approved the sale of up to 192 vehicles for USD $250 million.[98]
In July 2023, The Slovak Defence Ministry accepted the offer for 160 JLTV for USD $190 million through the FMF grant (Foreign Military Financing). Some of the JLTV are to be equipped with the
Kongsberg M153 CROWS remote station, and some with a manned weapon station. The deliveries are due to take place in 2025.[99]
The
Hellenic Army mentioned the potential purchase of JLTV to be equipped with various equipments as an option:
In June 2022, the Hellenic Army General Staff met with representatives from Elbit Systems after showing interest in the acquisition of SPEAR 120mm mortar systems mounted on the JLTV.[100][101]
In April 2023, the Hellenic Army ordered
Spike missiles for €370 million. As part of the variants ordered, Greece mentions the
Spike NLOS. In its terrestrial use, it would be installed on the
Plasan SandCat or the JLTV. [102]
In July 2022, the Polish Minister of Defence announced the willingness to purchase 116 used
M1A1 Abrams. [103]
Following discussions on the required additional equipment, an approval for a Foreign Military Sale by the Congress took place in December 2022. The vehicles approved as part of that program was 116
M1A1 Abrams, 12
M88A2 HERCULES, 8 M1110 Joint Assault Bridges with MLC-115 Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge, 6
M577A3 Command Vehicles, 26 M1152A1
Humvee and 26 M1279A1 JLTV. [104]
In January 2023, the order of the 116 M1A1 was confirmed, with this confirmation, 12 M88A2, 8 M1110, 6 M577 and 26 M1152A1 workshop
Humvee was confirmed with their logistic package, but no mention of the JLTV. [105]
Portuguese Army – In April 2020, Portugal announced that it would be seeking to procure the JLTV through the US Foreign Military Sales program. The intention was expressed to Janes by Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Manuel dos Santos Camilo, head of the capabilities branch of the army general staff's force planning division. In 2019, EUR79 million (US$86 million) was allocated to the revised Portuguese Military Programming Law for the acquisition of JLTVs by 2030 for further army modernisation. The total procurement was under review and it was stated that it could change. If purchased, the JLTV would replace the Land Rover Defender series and the Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ73LV vehicles used by the Portuguese Army.[106][107]
British Army – In June 2016 it was reported that to meet Package 1 of the
Multi Role Vehicle-Protected (MRV-P) requirement, the UK
Ministry of Defence (MoD) was in talks with
the Pentagon on acquiring the JLTV via the
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. “We can confirm that we are talking to the US DOD regarding Package 1 [of MRV-P], to inform our understanding of an FMS option for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,” said an MoD spokesman.[108] It was stated in January 2017 by Maj. Gen. Robert Talbot Rice, the director of land equipment at the Defence Equipment and Support arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), that: "We are working through the Foreign Military Sales process. A letter of request has been sent to our American colleagues, and we expect a response in the next few months." Talbot Rice told an audience of industry executives and military personnel at the International Armoured Vehicles conference in London on 24 January that the Army had opted for the single-source purchase due to its ability to meet UK requirements and its value for money.[109] In July 2017, the DSCA notified the US Congress of a possible sale of 2,747 JLTV vehicles and accessories to the UK.[110][111] Jane's Defence Weekly reported in September 2019 that approval for the JLTV to enter the demonstration phase was received in April 2019 and that once the demonstration phase was complete in 2021, a new business case would be submitted to the MoD for approval to enter full rate production. The requirement at that time stood at 821 vehicles for the Army and Marines.[112] In June 2022, it was announced that the Package 1
Multi Role Vehicle-Protected (MRV-P) requirement purchase would not move forward; cancellation of the MRV-P Package 1 is not a direct cancellation of the JLTV acquisition, and actually a result of the British Army reviewing its protected mobility needs after the 2021 Integrated Review and associated Command Paper. Delaying any JLTV purchase will also allow the UK to await the outcome of the US Army JLTV recompete process.[113]
A production standard USMC JLTV in M1280 General Purpose (GP) configuration, this example fitted with a deep fording kit and tire chains.
Oshkosh L-ATV in M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier JLTV configuration and fitted with an EOS R-400S-MK2 remote weapon system integrated with Orbital ATK's M230 LF 30 mm lightweight automatic chain gun
Oshkosh L-ATV in M1279 JLTV Utility configuration undergoing air-transport trials
Oshkosh L-ATV in M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier JLTV configuration with Objective Gunner Protection Kit (OGPK)
Rear three-quarter view of an Oshkosh L-ATV in M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier JLTV configuration
Oshkosh L-ATV in M1280 General Purpose JLTV configuration during trials
JLTV General Purpose variant fitted with a Boeing CLWS and a heavy machine gun-armed RWS
Oshkosh L-ATV configured as M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier
In December 2019, the Marine Corps tested a version of the JLTV called ROGUE Fires, which consists of an
unmanned JLTV-based mobile launch platform carrying a
Naval Strike Missile launcher unit.[114]
^Todd South (28 February 2019).
"Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)". These Marine units are the first to field the newest ground combat vehicle, the JLTV. Retrieved 6 March 2019.