The
Lockheed Martin team produced a total of 22 JLTV
test vehicles, which were manufactured at BAE Systems’ Sealy, Texas,
manufacturing facility, a world leader in the production of military and
severe-duty wheeled vehicles. Delivery to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps
for long-term testing and evaluation is scheduled for August 22.
“Lockheed Martin is committed to providing our soldiers and Marines
with a vehicle of unequalled capability and dependability, and one that
is affordable both to buy and to operate,” said Scott Greene, vice
president of ground vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
“We are excited to get these vehicles into the hands of the customer.
Early break-in testing is under way, and we are confident that our JLTV
design will serve our servicemen and women well.”
Following successes in the program’s Technology Development phase,
the U.S. Army and Marine Corps awarded Lockheed Martin a $65 million contract
in August 2012 to continue developing JLTV
through the EMD phase. Initial tests demonstrated that the Lockheed Martin
design provided blast protection equivalent to much larger mine-resistant
vehicles in service today.
The Lockheed
Martin Joint Light Tactical Vehicle balances the “iron
triangle” of protection, performance and payload while maintaining
affordability. Compared to general-purpose vehicles currently in service,
the Lockheed Martin JLTV will provide greatly improved crew protection
and mobility, lower logistical support costs, superior fuel efficiency
and state-of-the-art connectivity with other platforms and systems. The
team’s current JLTV design maintains the proven force protection,
transportability and reliability of the earlier Technology Development
model, while significantly reducing weight and cost.
For more than three decades, Lockheed Martin has applied its systems-integration
expertise to a wide range of successful ground vehicles for U.S. and allied
forces worldwide. The company’s products include the combat-proven
Multiple Launch Rocket System M270-series and HIMARS
mobile launchers, Havoc
8x8, Common Vehicle, Light Armored Vehicle-Command and Control,
Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
and pioneering unmanned platforms such as the Squad
Mission Support System.
|