Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, presented its solution for the Engineering Manufacturing & Development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. With the JLTV program, the U.S. military is seeking to modernize its light vehicle fleet.

Oshkosh is offering the latest generation of its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) to upgrade the light tactical fleet with MRAP-level protection and unprecedented mobility in future missions. The Oshkosh L-ATV has been extensively tested and proven to meet or exceed all of the JLTV program’s requirements.

“Military leaders have recognized JLTV as one of their top modernization priorities, and the Oshkosh L-ATV entry represents our significant investment in this project and showcases our advanced technology. Our engineers have drawn upon extensive tactical vehicle operating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to develop the L-ATV, with an eye toward future combat environments,” said John Bryant, Vice President and General Manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense.

The Oshkosh L-ATV is designed to keep Warfighters safe as battlefield threats evolve. The vehicle’s crew protection system has been extensively tested and proven to optimize protection, weight and mobility. The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations so it can easily be adapted to changing operational requirements.

The L-ATV also uses the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent suspension system, building on the success of the TAK-4 family of suspensions used on more than 20,000 military vehicles. The TAK-4i system is tailored for high-performance, lightweight vehicles to give Warfighters unprecedented mobility in severe off-road terrain. It uses an advanced Oshkosh technology to deliver 20 inches of independent wheel travel; 25 percent more than any vehicle fielded with the U.S. military today.

Oshkosh’s innovative L-ATV delivers expanded power capabilities, greater fuel efficiency and integrated diagnostics compared to legacy engine technologies. An optional Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric hybrid powertrain is available to further improve fuel economy, lower life-cycle costs, and provide high levels of stationary and on-the-move exportable power.

Oshkosh committed significant resources for light vehicle research and development to produce the L-ATV.  In preparation for the JLTV EMD phase, six generations of Oshkosh light vehicles were developed to respond to evolving requirements. Oshkosh’s L-ATV designs have been verified through extensive JLTV mission-profile testing. Notably, an L-ATV prototype called the LCTV completed the 1,061-mile Baja 1000 off-road race in the unforgiving terrain of the Mexican desert, demonstrating its unprecedented performance capabilities and reliability.

“Since 2006, we have aggressively and continuously worked to design, develop and test the L-ATV to deliver a robust, mature solution for the JLTV EMD phase,” Bryant said.  “Our new product development process allowed us to develop multiple generations, which is why our JLTV solution is currently ready for Low Rate Initial Production.”

As a long-time vehicle and service provider to the U.S. military, Oshkosh has a history of superb program execution and the Oshkosh JLTV solution is no exception. Working closely with its vast supplier network, Oshkosh has optimized its L-ATV vehicle design while gaining economies of scale across a spectrum of military, commercial and industrial vehicle programs.

Oshkosh has produced more than 100,000 military-class trucks and trailers to date, including the medium- and heavy-payload vehicles for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). Oshkosh uses a flexible, integrated manufacturing approach to build vehicles for different military programs on a single assembly line, which helps keep costs low. In addition, Oshkosh is equipped to manufacture components and parts in-house – including key subsystems such as suspension systems, which other manufacturers must purchase from suppliers.