The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) modded with the Pack-Rack system is demonstrated on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 2, 2021. (Lance Cpl. Zachary Zephir/US Marine Corps)
Update Feb. 10, 2022 at 8:52am ET: This story has been updated with additional information from the program office.
WASHINGTON: The US Army today announced the solicitation for the long-awaited recompete of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, with the new contract estimated to be worth $7.3 billion.
The new request for proposals for the single-award contract will allow other vehicle makers to bid to unseat Oshkosh Defense as the current vendor. The joint program office plans to buy 15,425 JLTVs and 7,644 JLTV trailers under the new contract, according to Michael Sprang, project manager for the JLTV joint program office at Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support.
The JLTV is a light armored vehicle designed to carry troops and cargo during military operations. The program is run by the Army and supplies JLTVs to both the Marines and Army units. The vehicle is replacing portions of the service’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) fleet.
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“This follow-on contract focuses on a best value determination that includes retaining the capability of the JLTV today, and looks to the future, namely a vehicle possibly featuring hybridization or electrification to reduce fuel consumption in line with the Army’s new climate strategy,” Sprang said. “It also highlights manufacturing quality, addresses the commercial engine update, and incentivizes specific technology enhancements within cost and schedule targets.”
The Army climate strategy, released Tuesday, stated the service plans to field purpose-built hybrid-drive tactical vehicles by 2035. In late January, Oshkosh Defense announced that they had developed a hybrid-electric JLTV, though no orders had come in yet.
Oshkosh Defense executives have previously told Breaking Defense that they are confident they will retain the contract after building thousands of JLTVs in the last five years. But competitors will be aided by technical data on the JLTV that’s owned by the Army and will be shared with potential bidders.
“Having the access to the technical data is of course helpful — you couldn’t build it without it,” Oshkosh Defense president John Bryant told Breaking Defense in April. But he added that it’ll be difficult for rivals to compete with “the knowledge gained from having built over 10,000 of the vehicles.”
Oshkosh Defense has now delivered over 15,000 vehicles under its current contract, which was worth some $6.7 billion at award time in 2015.
Whatever happens with the recompete, Oshkosh Corp. leadership previously warned that they expect their defense revenue to fall due to reductions in JLTV orders by the military. Fiscal 2022 budget documents show that the serviced plans to purchase 2,744 JLTV trucks, down from 3,398 the year prior.
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