Oshkosh [OSK] said Monday it has successfully completed a flight test firing a Javelin missile from a remote weapon station on its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for the first time.
The announcement follows the Army’s decision to move the JLTV program into full-rate production with plans to roll out the platform to the newest armored brigade combat team and open up opportunities for potential foreign interest in the vehicle.
“This successful demonstration further solidifies the importance of the JLTV’s position within the current combat fleet formation,” George Mansfield, Oshkosh’s vice president and general manager of joint programs, said in a statement.
The Javelin test took place June 12 at the Redstone Test Center in Alabama and represented the first time Oshkosh had fired both the missile and a Northrop Grumman [NOC] lightweight 30mm cannon using a remote weapon station built by Kongsberg.
“We will defer to the U.S. Army on their weapons procurement plans. For Oshkosh however, this demonstration is a unique opportunity in which we were able to show off our weapons integration capabilities on the JLTV platform. Altogether it was a very successful event,” Mansfield told Defense Daily.
The Army announced last Friday it had approved JLTV for full-rate production after a series of program delays and a proposal to slow down the planned vehicle buy over the next five years (Defense Daily, June 21).
Mansfield noted Oshkosh has worked with the Army over the last several months on slight changes to the configuration of the vehicle, which now includes larger windows added to rear doors, a forward-facing camera to increase situational awareness, and a muffler to significantly decrease exterior noise and allow for better internal communication between vehicle crew.
The FRP declaration also opens up the JLTV to potential foreign military sale opportunities.
“Oshkosh Defense has been showcasing and demonstrating the JLTV for many allied nations for several years now. In fact, several countries have already publicly expressed interest in procuring the JLTV, including Lithuania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom,” Mansfield said. “We continue to be very pleased with the amount of interest our international allies have in the JLTV and we expect interest to continue to grow as the JLTV is fielded.”
The Army’s newest armored brigade combat team, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team (1/1 AD), is also set to start receiving JLTVs this summer.
The 1/1 AD officially converted to an armored BCT at a ceremony on June 20 and has turned in over 300 Stryker vehicles with plans to start accepting Abrams tanks, Bradleys, Paladin artillery systems and the JLTVs.