The Belgium Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract to Oshkosh Defense [OSK] for 322 Command and Liaison Vehicles (CLV), which is the company’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) outfitted with Belgian communication systems.
The deal, announced Tuesday, is the first large direct commercial sale for a JLTV-based vehicle, according to the company.
“Oshkosh Defense is honored that Belgium has chosen to equip its armed forces with the Oshkosh CLV,” John Bryant, president of Oshkosh Defense, said in a statement. “The Oshkosh CLV offers Belgian soldiers the world’s most advanced light military vehicle, delivering next-generation levels of protection, off-road mobility, speed, transportability, and seamless operational and logistical interoperability with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.”
Belgium now joins the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Slovenia and Montenegro as international partners operating JLTV-based vehicles.
“The Belgian Defense opted for a worldwide competition in which ‘money for value’ was the only criterion,” Col. Filip De Varé, Belgium Defense Forces’ director of land systems, said in a statement. “The CLV will be integrated in the CaMo program, an international partnership between the French and Belgian land forces.”
In February, Oshkosh received a $407 million order to deliver 1,240 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), that included vehicles for Lithuania and Slovenia as well as the U.S. Marine Corps (Defense Daily, Feb. 18).