The major focus for Oshkosh Defense [OSK] now is on the company’s Light Combat Tactical All Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) offering for the Army-Marine Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), according to John Bryant, senior vice president of defense programs.
In August, the company delivered 22 vehicles on time for government testing, as did program competitors Lockheed Martin [LMT] and AM General.
Over the coming year, Oshkosh Defense will support government tests and prepare for the government’s plan to select a single contractor in 2015, Bryant told Defense Daily at the Association of the United States Army on Oct. 21.
However, at a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing three days later, Army and Navy acquisition officials said the program could be delayed by a year or more due to sequestration and the government shutdown. Test time was canceled and the program has to get back on the busy test schedule (Defense Daily, Oct, 24).
“JLTV is a high priority requirement that is not going away,” Bryant said. “We understand the uncertainty our customers face–he truly doesn’t know the end state of his funding a couple of years down the line.”
 |
| JLTV Offering Photo: Oshkosh Defense |
Meanwhile, Bryant said, the company continues to take user feedback and tweak the design. “Right now we’re supporting tests at the same time doing the minor modifications that reduce cost, improve reliability and make a better vehicle.”
The company is fully engaged in validating the program, proving maturity, protection and reliability so the government knows the vehicle is ready for production, he said.
The JLTV offering incorporates the company’s next generation TAK-4i ™ intelligent independent suspension system. In fact, Bryant said, Oshkosh’s JLTV solution provides the same ride quality at speeds 70 percent faster than today’s industry off road “gold standard,” the company’s MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). The earlier Oshkosh TAK-4 systems are incorporated on military vehicles.
In theater, the M-ATV is performing JLTV-like missions outside the wire, he said, providing a benchmark for more deliberate work on the L-ATV and JLTV.
“We had time to optimize every aspect–suspension, drive train, survivability systems—optimize all of the systems for their contribution to survivability, mobility, cost and weight,” Bryant said. And JLTV was a design challenge, he added.
Additionally, the company is still producing medium and heavy vehicles for the Army and Marines and producing the M-ATV for a robust international market.
“For the first few years, because the requirement was so urgent in the United States, we were unable to sell them overseas. There were restrictions,” Bryant said. “The restrictions have since been lifted and a pent-up demand from our partners has now been released.”
For example, the UAE wants 750 M-ATV, and with a significant demand from overseas, the company is focused on fulfilling customer requirements, from a command and control suite to weapons to other options. Support also is coming to the fore as a huge fleet of vehicles fielded to the Marines and Army are moving back to the United States. The theater drawdown and procurement drawdown means there are large fleets to support as warfighting customers transition from urgent immediate requirements in theater to long-term support.
“Oshkosh Defense is making the transition with him,” he said.
Additionally, under its own independent research and development, Oshkosh Defense designs, fabricates and tests survivability improvements, safety improvements, reliability improvements and cost reduction improvements for all its customers in anticipation of customers needs.