Oshkosh Unveils Newest JLTV at Nation’s Capital, Lockheed Martin’s Bid Protest Still Pending
by October 13, 2015 6:35 am 141 views
Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense announced plans on Monday to roll out the latest version of the nation’s next-generation, all-duty Humvee and Jeep successor at a three-day gathering of military decision-makers and defense industry leader in Washington, D.C.
Oshkosh beat out defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and Humvee maker AM General in a long-fought battle for the multibillion dollar award, which was first initiated nearly a decade ago by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Although the Pentagon’s contract to produce nearly 55,000 JLTVs for Army and Marine combat soldiers is estimated to be worth more than $30 billion over the 25-year life of the program, Oshkosh’s initial fixed-firm price contract will pay out $6.7 billion during the so-called, three year low-rate production phase to manufacture 17,000 JLTVs.
On Sept. 8, Lockheed Martin officials filed a bid protest against the award to Oshkosh with the U.S. General Accountability Office, saying they were disappointed to learn that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps did not select the defense giant’s version of JLTV, which was expected to be built at the company’s industrial site in East Camden, Arkansas.
Since then, the Bethesda, Maryland-based defense contractor has filed additional supporting documents with GAO, Lockheed Martin officials confirmed last week. The docket for the Lockheed Martin’s protest is expected to close before the end of the year, GAO records show.
Despite not being able to start full JLTV production until the protest has ended, Oshkosh officials are unveiling their version of the U.S. military’s sophisticated hi-tech armored vehicle at the beginning of today’s annual meeting and convention of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). The nonprofit trade group supports active, retired civilian and family members of the largest military branch.
Retired U.S. Army Major General John M. Urias, president of Oshkosh Defense, said the JLTV program fills a critical capability gap for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps by replacing the unarmored Humvee fleet “with a light tactical vehicle with far superior protection and off-road mobility,” said
“Our warfighters, who are courageously serving our country, deserve the most capable vehicle,” Urias said in a press release. “We are honored that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps selected the Oshkosh JLTV as the best vehicle to serve their missions.”
Urias continued: “The Oshkosh JLTV will revolutionize how our soldiers and Marines get to the fight. It has been extensively tested and is proven to provide the ballistic protection of a light tank, the underbody protection of an MRAP-class vehicle, the network capability of a mobile command center, and the off-road mobility of a Baja racer. Looking beyond today’s requirements, our JLTV was designed with room for future requirements as operating environments may rapidly evolve.”