Success story in Europe for Oshkosh Defense JLTV Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

Army Recognition interviewed John M. Lazar, Oshkosh Defense Vice President and General Manager, International Programs, about the JLTV at the opportunity of the contract received from the Belgian Ministry of Defense for the supply of 322 JLTVs. The JLTV is already in service with Montenegro, Lithuania, and Slovenia. In Europe, the United Kingdom and Portugal also showed interest to acquire JLTVs.
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Oshkosh Defense JLTV (Picture source : Army Recognition)

Army Recognition: What is on Oshkosh's agenda concerning the deliveries of JLTVs worldwide?

John M. Lazar, Vice President and General Manager, International Programs: Oshkosh Defense has built and delivered over 9,000 JLTVs to date and the number grows every day.

Army Recognition: What does the recent purchase contract of 322 JLTVs represent for Oshkosh Defense ?

John M. Lazar: We are honored and humbled that Oshkosh Defense was picked by the Belgian Ministry of Defense in an open competition based on value for money to win the Belgium CLV* contract for 322 trucks. Belgium joins several NATO and allied coalition partners including Lithuania, Montenegro and Slovenia who have placed orders for the JLTV. We see that expanding given the economies of scale and value for money. It is also worth noting that Montenegro received their first five JLTVs last week.

Army Recognition: From a global point of view, how does the JLTV fit in Oshkosh Defense’s strategy ?

John M. Lazar: The JLTV was intended from the beginning to be an international program. We see four major factors driving the JLTV's success in Europe:
- Rigorously tested and proven: the JLTV completed 161,000 kilometers of RAM-D testing. The U.S. Government assessed our JLTV at more than 16,000 Mean Miles Between Hardware Mission Failure (MMBHMF), more than two times the required MMBHMF. That is unprecedented.
- Highly protected: the vehicle is scalable to MRAP [Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected] levels of protection and has undergone extensive US blast and ballistic protection testing.
- Mobility: the JLTV is the only light tactical vehicle that can maneuver with combat formations. Our TAK-4i intelligent independent suspension system provides over 508 millimeters of wheel travel, providing a smooth ride over rough terrain at fast speeds.
- Interoperability:wWe can integrate any number of weapons systems or communications systems based on our customers requirements.

Army Recognition: Would you mind please make a special comment on the contract with the Belgian army regarding the actual technical specifications (armor, accessories) of the "Belgian version" (beyond the off-the-shelf standard specifications) and delivery schedule ? Will these 322 JLTVs be delivered fully assembled or will there be partnerships with Belgian companies for assembly, supply of parts, etc. ?

John M. Lazar: We'll have to defer to the Belgian MoD on releasing their specific integration plans and delivery schedules. What I can tell you is the Oshkosh CLV leverages the highly successful Oshkosh JLTV platform and is modified as necessary to meet or exceed Belgium's CLV requirements. Oshkosh always looks for opportunities to leverage indigenous industrial capabilities that meet their specific requirements.

Army Recognition: Any additional comment on the JLTV design an development?

John M. Lazar: The JLTV was also built with room to grow. With our modular design, customers can easily configure the JLTV to meet mission needs by adding any number of weapons systems, protection kits, communications and other critical equipment. And we continue to look at different missions that the JLTV can do. Last year, for example, we unveiled the L-ATV Ambulance, a protected ambulance designed to travel off-road at JLTV speeds while enabling medics and corpsmen to render medical aid while in transit. We also unveiled a command and control vehicle (L-ATV C2) that provides the same level of protection and extreme off-road mobility as the JLTV while housing a robust communications suite so our armed forces can stay well-connected while on the move.

* CLV stands for Commad and Liaison Vehicle

Oshkosh Defense  command and control vehicle (L-ATV C2) (Picture source : Oshkosh Defense)