Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

A production standard USMC JLTV in M1280 General Purpose (GP) configuration, this example fitted with a deep fording kit and tire chains
Type Light tactical vehicle[1]
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designer Oshkosh Corporation
Designed 2005–2015
Manufacturer Oshkosh Defense
Unit cost US$433,539[2] (inc R&D) (FY15)
Produced 2016 (Low Rate Initial Production, LRIP)
Variants M1278, M1279, M1280, M1281, plus a companion trailer.
JLTV-RV (JLTV - Reconnaissance Vehicle) (selected)
Specifications
Armor Classified (A-kit/B-kit configuration)
Main
armament
 Various light and medium caliber weapons, plus AGLs or ATGWs if required
Secondary
armament
 Up to four M7 smoke grenade dischargers
Engine Gale Banks Engineering 866T, 6.6-liter diesel (based on GM Duramax architecture[3]
Transmission Allison automatic; Oshkosh transfer case
Suspension Oshkosh TAK-4i independent suspension
Operational
range
 300 miles
Speed Forward: 70 mph (110 km/h)
Reverse: 8 mph (13 km/h)
Steering
system
 Power-assisted, front axle

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is a United States military (specifically U.S. Army, USSOCOM, and U.S. Marine Corps) program to part-replace the Humvee[4] with a family of more survivable vehicles with greater payload. The JLTV program was approved in 2006 to begin early studies.

The JLTV program incorporates lessons learned from the earlier and now halted Future Tactical Truck Systems (FTTS) program and other associated efforts.[1] JLTV has evolved throughout various development phases and milestones but variants are capable of performing armament carrier, utility, command and control (shelter), ambulance, reconnaissance and a variety of other tactical and logistic support roles. JLTV complies with the US Army's Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS).[1] The JLTV program (including numbers required and pricing) evolved considerably as the program developed.

Oshkosh's L-ATV was selected as the winner of the JLTV program on 25 August 2015 and awarded an initial production contract for up to 16,901 JLTVs. Lockheed Martin filed a protest of the award in September 2015 and later withdrew its protest in February 2016.[5]

History

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which first entered service in 1985, was developed during the Cold War when improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and asymmetric warfare were not a major factor for military planners. The HMMWV's demonstrated vulnerability to IEDs and the difficulties and costs experienced in satisfactorily up-armoring HMMWVs led to the development of a family of more survivable vehicles with greater payload and mobility. JLTV was originally reported as a one-for-one HMMWV replacement; however, US DOD officials now emphasize that JLTVs are not intended to replace all HMMWVs.[6]

The JLTV publicly emerged in 2006. Early government documents noted: "In response to an operational need and an aging fleet of light tactical wheeled vehicles, the joint services have developed a requirement for a new tactical wheeled vehicle platform that will provide increased force protection, survivability, and improved capacity over the current [Up-armoured Humvee] while balancing mobility and transportability requirements with total ownership costs." The joint service nature of the effort was assured through Congressional language in the Fiscal Year 2006 (FY06) Authorization Act, which mandated that any future tactical wheeled vehicle program would be a joint program.[1]

The Joint Chief of Staff's Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) approved the JLTV program in November 2006; this began a 13-month Concept Refinement phase which is a pre-systems acquisition process designed to further develop the initial concepts resident in the Initial Capabilities Document (ICD). The Concept Refinement phase also includes an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA). At the conclusion of the Concept Refinement phase in December 2007, the Joint Program Office (JPO) JLTV Project Manager (PM) intended to transition the program directly into the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) phase. However, as the calendar date for the milestone approached, it became clear that the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA), Defense Acquisition Executive (DAE), John Young, would not support the JLTV program entering into the acquisition process at that time. He denied the request and instructed the Army and the Marine Corps to develop a more vigorous Technology Development (TD) phase.[1]

The US DOD released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the TD phase of the JLTV program on 5 February 2008. Industry proposals were due no later than 7 April. TD phase contract award was postponed in July 2008.[1]

The following companies and partnerships responded to the TD phase RFP:

BAE Systems Valanx JLTV in 2012. BAE's Valanx would not progress to EMD phase.
General Tactical Vehicles JLTV during field trials in 2010. This design would not progress to EMD phase.
Lockheed Martin JLTV variants in 2012. Lockheed Martin's vehicle would progress to EMD phase and be selected to progress to prototype stage.
AM General BRV-O JLTV on static display. The BRV-O would progress to EMD phase and be selected to progress to prototype stage.

On 28 October 2008, the Pentagon narrowed the field of vendors to Lockheed Martin, General Tactical Vehicles and BAE Systems/Navistar. Each team were awarded contracts worth between $35.9 million and $45 million to begin the next phase of the program, which at the time was stated to be worth $20 billion or more.[16] The Northrop Grumman/Oshkosh group contested the awards but, their protest was denied by the Government Accountability Office on 17 February 2009.[17]

Australia signed an agreement in February 2009 to fund nine of the first 30 JLTV prototypes.[18] While a final decision has yet to be made, the Australian Government is now pursuing the Hawkei a domestically developed vehicle through Thales-Australia[19] India became interested in the program in 2009.[20] India is currently pursuing an indigenous solution. Israel and the UK have also expressed interest in the program.[1]

On 1 June 2010, it was confirmed that all three contractors had delivered seven JLTV platforms for TD phase evaluation. The U.S. Army appeared to have reduced its support for the program at this time, omitting JLTV numbers from its tactical vehicle strategy published in June 2010.[21][22] However, the U.S. Army clarified that JLTVs are slated to both replace and complement the Humvee.[22][23]

JLTV's TD phase lasted 27 months and in May 2011 it was completed. In February 2011, the JLTV Program Office announced the award of the follow-on Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase contract would be delayed until January or February 2012 because the Army changed requirements for the JLTV, requiring it to have the same level of under body protection as the Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV).[1]

Upon exiting the TD phase CDD version 3.3 was published. By the time CDD version 3.3 was published, payload options had been reduced to only two. CDD version 3.3 dropped payload verbiage and replaced it with variants. From that point on there were only two required variants; The Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) configuration, which would replace the previous Category A and Category B configurations, would be a 4-seat vehicle with a 3,500 pound payload. The Category B variant was eliminated because it proved to be too heavy to meet the required weight of approximately 15,639 pounds to make it transportable by Army CH-47F and Marine Corps CH-53K helicopters. The Combat Support Vehicle (CSV), which would replace the previous Category C configuration, would be a 2-seat vehicle with a 5,100 pound payload. The two variants that appeared in CDD version 3.3 now had requirements for configurations. Configuration refers to the different types of mission packages that will be installed into each of the two variants. CDD version 3.3 required six configurations.[1]

The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for JLTV's EMD phase was released on 2 October 2011. This called for an average unit manufacturing cost between $230,000 and $270,000 across the JLTV family of vehicles. The cost target for the B-kit armor package remains at USD65,000. EMD phase requirements also created some trade space for industry by easing weight and mobility constraints. At this time JLTV was in danger of severe budget cuts and possible full cancellation in the wake of spiraling costs, delays and defense-wide budgetary cutbacks; it was also competing against the HMMWV Modernized Expanded Capacity Vehicle (MECV) program, the draft RfP for which was released on 11 August 2011. On 26 January 2012 the Request for Proposals for JLTV's EMD phase was released. Budget priorities for FY13 released on the same day included the termination of the HMMWV MECV Recap program in order to focus vehicle modernization resources on JLTV.[1]

Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase

Not all of the TD phase contract award teamings remained in place for JLTV's Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. By late March 2012 (bids due 27 March), it was clear that at least six teams had submitted responses to the EMD phase RFP,[24] and following EMD phase contract awards on 23 August 2012, in September Hardwire LLC disclosed itself as a previously unknown seventh bidder. The bidders were:

On 23 August 2012, the Army and Marine Corps selected the Lockheed Martin JLTV, the Oshkosh L-ATV, and the AM General BRV-O as the winners of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the competition. The three companies were awarded a contract to build 22 prototype vehicles in 27 months to be judged by the services.[25] Losing bidder Navistar filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the evaluation criteria on 31 August 2012;[26] the company withdrew the protest on 4 September 2012.[27]

JLTV's EMD phase competitors - L to R - AM General, Oshkosh, Lockheed Martin

On 26 June 2013, Lockheed Martin completed the last of 22 JLTVs produced for the EMD phase.[28] On 8 August 2013, Oshkosh delivered its first L-ATV JLTV prototype to the Army for government testing following a successful vehicle inspection by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The four-door multi-purpose variant and two-door utility variant were provided for evaluations.[29] On 14 August 2013, both AM General and Lockheed delivered their 22 vehicles to the Army and Marine Corps to participate in a 14-month government evaluation and testing process.[30][31]

On 27 August 2013, the Army and Marine Corps announced that full-scale testing of JLTV prototypes would begin the following week, with all three vendors having had 66 vehicles delivered. Each company delivered 22 vehicles and six trailers to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Previous testing had already put the vehicles through more than 400 ballistic and blast tests on armor testing samples, underbody blast testing, and more than 1,000 miles in shakedown testing. Soldiers from the Army Test and Evaluation Command and personnel from the Defense Department's Office of Test and Evaluation would put the vehicles through realistic and rigorous field testing during 14 months of government performance testing. Testing was to be completed by FY 2015, with a production contract to be awarded to a single vendor for nearly 55,000 vehicles, with each vehicle coming off the assembly line not exceeding $250,000. The Army is to begin receiving JLTVs by FY 2018, and have all their vehicles planned to be delivered in the 2030s.[32] On 3 September 2013, full-pace, full-scope JLTV testing began at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Yuma Proving Ground, and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The program is on track despite sequestration, but if budget issues are not worked out the schedule could slip. One vendor will be selected by July 2015, and produce 2,000 vehicles for three years of additional testing to fine-tune the assembly line and full-up the system.[33]

Testing of the JLTV was temporarily halted in early October during the two-week U.S. Government shutdown of 2013. Civilian workers were furloughed and test sites were closed within hours. Work restarted immediately when the shutdown ended, though one site remained closed until 22 October. The Army and Marine Corps have vowed commitment to buying nearly 55,000 JLTVs even in the face of sequestration cuts. This level of support is given while major acquisition programs like the Ground Combat Vehicle were in danger of cuts (and eventually cancelled), which potentially meant the Army was favoring replacing Humvees more than the M2 Bradley. Army leaders worried that the Marines' priority with the Amphibious Combat Vehicle program could cause them to back out of JLTV procurement. However, the Marines said procurement plans for the two efforts did not overlap and should not conflict with each other. The number of light vehicles that will need to be reduced due to cuts is still being determined, but it is hoped that the cuts will be directed to the existing Humvee fleet rather than planned JLTV numbers.[34][35]

On 1 October 2013, the Defense Department Inspector General launched a year-long audit of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. It was one of about a dozen acquisition programs outlined in the IG's FY 2014 "audit plan". The audit was to determine whether Army and Marine officials were overseeing and managing the program effectively before low-rate production begins. A June 2013 report by the Congressional Research Service estimated the program cost at $23 billion, or $400,000 per vehicle; military leaders contend the unit cost will be $250,000. With fiscal pressures, program efforts are being challenged and focus is being put into oversight.[36] The Army planned to issue a request for proposals to companies interested in bidding for production contracts in mid-November 2014, and to pick a winner possibly by July 2015.[37] Discrepancies in unit cost have been attributed to different methods for analyzing cost. The Pentagon IG report concluded program officials "appropriately assessed the affordability" of the effort, and that average unit production cost remains stable at $250,000.[38] All three vehicles completed Limited User Testing (LUT) and Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs) by mid-November 2014. The JLTV program, like every other weapons program, is still in danger of cuts with the return of sequestration in 2016.[39]

Final selection

The Army released the final JLTV RFP for LRIP and FRP on 12 December 2014, clearing the way for AM General, Lockheed Martin, and Oshkosh Defense to submit their vehicle proposals. The Army gave competitors until 10 February 2015, to refine and submit their bids. The Army, on behalf of itself and the Marines, stated plans to select a winner and issue a single contract award in the late summer of 2015.[40] The winning contractor would build approximately 17,000 JLTVs for the Army and Marines during three years of LRIP, followed by five years of FRP. The first Army unit would be equipped with JLTVs in FY 2018, and the Army's complete acquisition of 49,099 JLTVs would be completed in 2040, with 2,200 JLTVs delivered each year between 2020–36. The Marines would begin acquiring their 5,500 JLTVs at the beginning of production and would be completed by FY 2022.[40]

FY 2015 budget requests included US$164.6 million (RDT&E US$45.7 million) for 176 JLTV (Army), and US$7.5 million (RDT&E US$11.5 million) for seven (USMC) JLTV in various configurations. The total procurement cost of the JLTV program was quoted as US$30.04 billion (official DoD FY2015 estimate) + US$0.98 billion in research and development (RDT&E) funds, giving a total estimated program cost of US$31.03 billion (figures are aggregated annual funds spent over the life of the program with no price/inflation adjustment). The GAO estimated that the DoD will allocate about US$53.5 billion for the JLTV program, split US$1.082 billion for RDT&E and at least US$52.298 billion for procurement.[40] By April 2015 TACOM had rescheduled JLTV's Milestone C decision for August 2015. The Army and Marines still expected LRIP to commence in FY2015, with TACOM expecting JLTV to enter full-rate production by FY2018. The Army expected JLTV to achieve Initial Operational Capability in 2019.[40]

2016 Oshkosh L-ATV configured as a JLTV, and equipped with M153 CROWS II remote weapon system integrated with M2 Browning .50 caliber Heavy machine gun.

Oshkosh was selected on 25 August 2015.[41] The award includes a base contract and eight option years covering three years of LRIP and five years of FRP. The initial contract award is valued at US$114 million and is for two year LRIP. LRIP was slated to begin in the first quarter of FY 2016, with Oshkosh commencing delivery of vehicles approximately 10 months after contract award. A FRP decision is expected in FY 2018, and should commence in November or December 2019.[42] The contract award has a value of up to US$6.749 billion and calls for a maximum of 16,901 JLTVs, and includes a sustainment element. JLTV manufacturing will be performed in Oshkosh, WI. Oshkosh CEO, Charles Szews, said the production contract award would involve more than 300 suppliers in 31 states across the country. The Army initially refused to detail why the L-ATV was chosen over its competitors, likely owing to anticipations of protests from either or both of the losing bidders, these to be submitted within ten days of contract award.[43][44]

On 8 September 2015, it was reported that Lockheed Martin would protest the award; on the same day it was also disclosed that AM General had decided not to file a protest. Any work that would be performed under the contract stopped during the review period.[45] On 15 December 2015 the Government Accountability Office GAO dismissed Lockheed Martin's protest because the company on 11 December 2015 decided to file a “Notice of Post-Award Bid Protest” with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; according to a source with knowledge of the procedures, it is uncommon for a company to file with the court close to a GAO protest decision.[46][47] Immediately after the GAO dismissed the protest, the Army instructed Oshkosh to resume work on the JLTV order.[48] Lockheed Martin filed a preliminary injunction on 17 December, stating that new Army-supplied information related to the contract emerged toward the end of the GAO's protest process that was not considered before their ruling and no deadline extension was granted.[49] The U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied Lockheed Martin's request to stop work while the lawsuit was pending, allowing Oshkosh to continue work during the process.[50] The company withdrew its protest in the Court of Federal Claims on 17 February 2016.[51][51]

Around the time Lockheed Martin withdrew its protest some potentially crucial data from JLTV testing was revealed. The 472–page annual report from the Pentagon's independent Director of Operational Test & Evaluation revealed that in testing Oshkosh's JLTV prototype lasted nearly six times longer between significant breakdown than the next closest, Lockheed Martin's prototype. The Oshkosh vehicle achieved 7,051 Mean Miles Between Operational Mission Failure (MMBOMF), Lockheed Martin's vehicle achieving 1,271 MMBOMF. AM General's vehicle achieved just 526 MMBOMF. The target for JLTV is 2400 MMBOMF, the current up-armored HMMWV achieving 2,968 MMBOMF.[52][53] Information on protection levels was also released. It was found in testing that both Oshkosh and Lockheed prototypes met all threshold force protection requirements and some objective-level requirements. This level of protection is better than that of up-armored HMMWVs, and similar to MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) without the underbody improvement kit across all spectrum of tested threats. AM General's prototype would need a significant redesign to meet threshold protection requirements. More details on vehicle protection were included in a classified report.[54]

In the Pentagon's FY 2017 budget, it requested US$587.5 million to procure 1,828 JLTVs for the Army and US$113.2 million to procure 192 for the Marines. About US$34.7 million was requested for research and development between the Army and Marines' JLTV programs.[55] Procurement objectives remain 49,099 JLTV for the Army and 5,500 for the Marines.[56]

The first delivery order for JLTV was announced on 23 March 2016 with the U.S. Army ordering 657 JLTVs, along with kits and support. The $243 million order includes vehicles for the Army and Marines. According to Oshkosh, "The vehicles, trailers, and installed kits for this order will be delivered by first quarter FY2018."[57][44] As part of the original JLTV LRIP/FRP Base Award in August 2015, an initial 201 JLTVs for the test and evaluation phase were ordered. The 657-vehicle order is an exercised option from the program's eight option years.[58] Overall JLTV requirements remain at 5,500 for the US Marines and 49,099 for the Army. In April 2016 it was disclosed that JLTV's Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for both services would be delayed as a result of earlier protests and associated issues. Initial USMC operating capability will be delayed by about one year to the first quarter of fiscal 2020, with 69 JLTVs for a Marine infantry battalion, with procurement by the Marines complete by FY 2022. The Army anticipates a six-month delay, reaching IOC in mid-2019. Army procurement will last until approximately 2040.[59]

According to the Pentagon's 2016 Selected Acquisition Report (SAR), released on 24 March 2016, The JLTV program has dropped its total costs by $5.9 billion. JLTV's total program costs dropped 19.32%, from $30.574 billion to $24.668 billion "due primarily to revised estimates for unit costs of vehicles and kits based on realised savings", which accounted for a $3.7 billion decrease. A stretched out procurement "due to budget adjustments and revised assumptions regarding the maximum buy profile year" decreased costs by $1.28 billion, and several other changes – such as for cost estimation methodologies and indices – accounted for another $921 million decrease.[60] The SAR's total cost estimates include "research and development, procurement, military construction, and acquisition-related operations and maintenance" associated with a program, the Pentagon said. These reflect actual costs so far and anticipated costs in the future, with all estimates in fully inflated then-year dollars.[60]

On 11 May 2016, the U.S. Army disclosed that the JLTV is to be used as the platform for the upcoming Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (LRV) program rather than procuring a new system. The LRV is to be an off-road platform for carrying a suite of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors; it is to be light enough to be carried by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The JLTV has been described as an interim LRV solution, and there is a possibility that evaluation of JLTV in the LRV role will determine if a change is necessary.[61]

On 26 September 2016, the U.S. Army placed an order for another 130 JLTVs and 748 kits valued at $42 million; this was the third JLTV order since contract award. Fiscal Year 2016 funding budgets for 804 JLTVs.[62] The Army received its first seven JLTVs for test at the end of September 2016 according to Colonel Shane Fullmer, JLTV project manager stated at an AUSA 2016 media briefing. He said test vehicles would be sent to Yuma, Arizona, for automotive and mobility testing; to Ft Huachuca, Arizona, for cyber, electronic warfare, and C4 testing; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, for reliability and automotive testing; and to Alaska for automotive and environmental testing. Some JLTV testing was deferred during the EMD phase, as the government did not want to pay for testing with three suppliers, and it is now set for testing with a fleet of 100 JLTVs. By April 2017 30 JLTVs had been delivered, testing expected to continue through the first quarter of FY19.[42] Also at an AUSA 2016 media briefing, Scott Davis, program executive officer for Combat Support & Combat Service Support, stated that Overall the JLTV programme expects to cut about five years off of the total program and save about US$5.9 billion, as Oshkosh's final competitive bid was low enough so the army decided to 'buy to budget' and get more platforms each year, which shrunk the total length of the contract and increased cost avoidances accrued each year.[63] At AUSA 2016, Oshkosh displayed a JLTV General Purpose variant equipped with an EOS R-400S-MK2 remote weapon system integrated with Orbital ATK's M230 LF 30 mm lightweight automatic chain gun.[64]

The fourth JLTV order was announced on 2 January 2016, this for 409 vehicles, 1,984 installed kits, 82 packaged kits, as well as related services and support. The order is valued at an estimated $179 million and deliveries will begin late 2017.[65] On 4 January 2017 it was reported the U.S. Air Force is considering acquiring JLTVs for its security forces that protect missile launch facilities.[66]

In its 2018 budget the Pentagon requested $1.143 billion for the JLTV programme. For procurement, the DoD requested $1,099 billion split $804.4 million for 2,110 Army JLTVs, $60.5 for 140 Air Force JLTVs, and $233.6 for 527 Marines' JLTVs. The Army and Marines also requested $44.2 million for research, development, test, and evaluation.[67]

In May 2017 it was reported that the JLTV-RV (JLTV - Reconnaissance Vehicle) is to be incorporated into the current JLTV Technical Data Package (TDP) and will be a kit option on the next JLTV contract. The JLTV-RV is designated as the interim solution for the LRV requirement.[68]

In June 2017 the first US soldiers to receive JLTVs was revealed. According to the Army its first unit to receive JLTVs will be an infantry brigade combat team in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. The bulk of their 500 HMMWVs will be replaced by early 2019. The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy, will be next and then a brigade in Hawaii (probably with the 25th Infantry Division). According to the Marines, a yet-to-be-identified infantry battalion within II MEF at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will receive 69 JLTVs to replace the same number of Humvees in July 2019. Within 90 days, a similar unit with I MEF will receive JLTVs, and within another nine months, a unit with III MEF in Japan will follow.[69] Also in June 2017 the Marines revealed they wished to adjust their acquisition objective for JLTV by 65% to up to 9,091 vehicles. Overall JLTV requirements remain at 5,500 for the USMC and 49,099 for the army.[70]

On 1 August 2017 Oshkosh announced the fifth and most recent JLTV order, this for 748 vehicles and 2,359 installed and packaged kits. The order is valued at more than $195 million and is scheduled for completion by November 2018. Oshkosh also confirmed the JLTV remains on-schedule and on-budget. [71]

UK MoD interest

In June 2016 it was reported that to meet Package 1 of the Multi Role Vehicle-Protected (MRV-P) requirement, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) was in talks with the Pentagon on acquiring the JLTV via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. “We can confirm that we are talking to the US DOD regarding Package 1 [of MRV-P], to inform our understanding of an FMS option for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,” said an MoD spokesman.[72] It was stated in January 2017 by Maj. Gen. Robert Talbot Rice, the director of land equipment at the Defence Equipment and Support arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), that: "We are working through the Foreign Military Sales process. A letter of request has been sent to our American colleagues, and we expect a response in the next few months." Talbot Rice told an audience of industry executives and military personnel at the International Armoured Vehicles conference in London on 24 January that the Army had opted for the single-source purchase due to its ability to meet UK requirements and its value for money.[73] In July 2017, the DSCA notified the US Congress of a possible sale of 2,747 JLTV vehicles and accessories to the UK.[74]

Design requirements

JLTV has been designed to comply with U.S. Army's Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS).

The USMC requires a vehicle that can be transported by their current and planned systems. In April 2009, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway warned that the Marines "will not buy a vehicle that's 20,000 lb."[75]

The vehicle's jam-resistant doors will allow the passengers to easily escape after the vehicle has taken damage.[76][77] It will include an automatic fire extinguishing system,[77]

The cabin heater can raise the crew compartment temperature from minus 40 to 65 degrees F in one hour. The air-conditioner can drop the temperature from 120 to 90 degrees F within 40 minutes.[78]

The JLTV will be equipped with a diagnostic monitoring system that will electronically alert the operator of equipment failures so that they can be fixed. The electronic monitoring will observe the fuel, air intake, engine, cooling, transmission, energy storage, power generation and vehicle speed as well as other systems.[76][77]

The JLTV will have a trailer capable of carrying the same payload as its prime mover over the same speeds and mission profile.[76] It will have the capacity to carry various kinds of ammunition.[76]

The JLTV is to fill a capability gap in the light vehicle fleet for the 21st century strategy for a vehicle that balances performance, payload, and protection. It is to provide the same level of protection as an M-ATV while being more mobile and transportable, and have better network integration than the Humvee.[32] The mission set will be similar to the Humvee's original purpose, not as a frontline combat vehicle but to perform reconnaissance and transport. Unlike the Humvee however, the JLTV is made to survive in hostile environments where roadside bombs, ambushes, and other irregular threats might be prevalent, as the permissive "behind the lines" zone unarmored Humvees were designed to operate in rarely exists in modern combat zones.[79]

Mobility

The Pentagon requires at least 600 mean miles before an essential function failure.[78] The vehicle will be capable of traveling one terrain feature after having endured a single small caliber arms sized perforation to the fuel tank, engine oil reservoir, or coolant system.[76] It will be able to run on two flat tires.[76][77] The JLTV must also operate in altitudes from minus 500 feet to 12,000 feet and maintain full mission capability in temperatures from −40 to 125 °F (−40 to 52 °C), according to established requirements. When temperatures drop well below zero, the JLTV must start within one minute with no external aids, kits or prior warming of the batteries. The vehicle must be capable of traveling 350 paved miles at 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) or 300 miles (480 km) in operational terrain on a single tank of JP-8 fuel. Acceleration from 0 to 30 miles per hour (0 to 48 km/h) in seven seconds on dry, level, hard terrain is required, as is the ability to ford 60 inches (150 cm) of saltwater without a fording kit, in forward and reverse, while maintaining contact with the ground.[78]

Other tactically driven mobility requirements include a 25-foot turning radius and the ability to climb 24-inch vertical obstacles in forward and reverse. JLTV must be able to drive off an 18-inch vertical step at 15 mph and sustain no mechanical damage. It will be capable of traversing a 20-degree V-ditch that is 25 feet wide at an approach angle of 45 degree. It can 'jump' a 6-inch parallel curb at 15 mph and traverse a 20-foot flight of stairs at 5 mph. It must climb a 60 percent dry, hard-surfaced gradient and traverse a 40 percent sideslope with no degradation in driver control.[78]

JLTV is transportable by sea, rail, and air. The JLTV will be transportable on all classes of ocean-going transport ships with minimal dis-assembly. It is required to be rail-transportable on CONUS and NATO country railways. Air transportability will be by fixed-wing aircraft as large as or larger than the C-130 Hercules and sling-loadable with rotary-wing aircraft such as the CH-47/MH-47, and CH-53. The ambulance variant must be air-dropable by C-5 and C-17 fixed-wing aircraft.[80] The JLTV can be prepared in 30 minutes for transport by aircraft, Maritime Prepositioning Force ships or rail. This is aided by an adjustable-height suspension.[78]

Technical description

The JLTV is based around Oshkosh's TAK-4i (i = intelligent) independent suspension system. Around 26,000 military vehicles are fitted with an earlier version of the system,[81] these including the Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR), Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR), and Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV); the TAK-4 system has also been retro-fitted to the Force Protection Inc Cougar and BAE Systems RG-33 MRAPs.[82] The majority of systems supplied to date have been coil-sprung. The TAK-4i version fitted to the JLTV remains undisclosed, but is not coil-sprung and is of the variable adjustable ride-height type with up to 20 inches (51 cm) of wheel travel, 25 percent more than the current standard.[83][84]

Motive power is provided by a digitally-controlled Gale Banks Engineering 866T V-8 diesel, this based on the architecture of the General Motors (GM) Duramax.[3] Power output is undisclosed, but estimated to be around 300 hp. In commercial use power output of the standard Duramax engine is currently up to 397 hp (296 kW) at 3000 rpm. An unspecified fully automatic Allison Transmission is fitted, this coupled to an Oshkosh transfer case. It is currently not known if this is a single-speed or two-speed (high/low ratio) transfer case.[85]

The JLTV offers protection levels greater than those of up-armored HMMWVs and comparable to those of original MRAP class designs, but in an overall vehicle package that is considerably smaller and lighter than vehicles procured under the US Marines MRAP procurement.[86]

The LTAS protection system follows an A-kit/B-kit principle, with vehicles designed 'fitted for, but not with', protection. Protection kits can be installed and uninstalled from vehicles in the field using only basic tools. The A-kit is fitted on the production line and is a combination of a limited amount of armoring, in difficult-to-access areas of the vehicle, together with a significant amount of armor installation attachments and required support structures. The bulk of the armor, the B-kit, is installed in the field on an 'as required' basis.[1] Two soldiers can install B-kit armor in five hours. An 800-pound RPG protection kit can be installed in two hours at field-level maintenance and completed by the crew within 30 minutes.[78] The JLTV mounts up to four M7 Light Vehicle Obscuration Smoke Systems.

The benefits of the A-kit/B-kit principle are that armor is only fitted when required, reducing vehicle wear and tear and, by default, whole life cycle costs. Improvements and/or upgrades to armor are also far easier to integrate into an appliqué solution. No quantity for JLTV armoring kits has yet been disclosed, but it is anticipated that the estimated $65,000 kits will be procured on a 'one kit to three vehicle' basis.[1] The overall protection solution will include a spall liner to minimize perforation effects within a vehicle when the vehicle takes hostile fire.[76][87]

The JLTV also has an automatic fire-extinguishing system to protect the crew cabin and engine compartment.[78] Fires in the engine compartment are to be detected and extinguished within 10 seconds to minimize vehicle damage. In addition, the driver also has access to a small portable fire extinguisher.[80] Fixed fuel tanks are self-sealing, mounted externally and shielded by the JLTV structure. Each crew seat has a combined seat and blast restraint device. Ingress time for a crew of four in combat equipment is 30 seconds or less. Egress with B-kit doors is within 10 seconds.[78]

The JLTV could have polyfibroblast applied to it, a type of self-healing paint developed by the Office of Naval Research and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory made to decrease vehicle maintenance. Development began in 2008 and created a powder consisting of microscopic liquid-filled polymer spheres that can be combined with standard primers. The substance lets paint scratches heal by breaking capsules and forming a coating over the exposed steel before corrosion takes place, cutting maintenance costs and allowing vehicles to operate in the field longer.[88]

Versions

Early JLTV configurations

The JLTV family and its nomenclature evolved throughout the development process and to date the U.S. Army has allocated M designations to four individual JLTV configurations.[89]

In JLTV's Initial Capability Document (ICD) there were four payload options, this later reduced to three, Payload Categories A, B, and C. All were to be transportable externally by CH-47 and CH-53 helicopters and internally by C-130 aircraft.[90]

Payload Category A

Payload Category A vehicles were to fill the role of "Battlespace Awareness" with a payload capacity of 3,500 lb (1,600 kg).[90]

General Purpose Mobility: General Purpose Mobility (JLTV-A-GP) was the only variant in Payload Category A, designed for general purpose utility vehicle for use by the Army and Marine Corps, with a four-person capacity.[90] Unlike other variants, a C-130 would be capable of transporting two vehicles at a time.[90]

Payload Category B

Payload Category B vehicles was to fill the role of "Force Application" with a payload capacity of 4,000–4,500 lb (1,800–2,000 kg).[90]

Payload Category C

Payload Category C vehicles were to fill the role of "Focused Logistics" with a payload of 5,100 lb (2,300 kg).[90]

By the time Capability Development Document (CDD) version 3.3 was published at the conclusion of JLTV's Technology Development (TD) phase, payload options had been reduced to only two and payload verbiage had been dropped, this replaced by reference to variants. From that point on two stated variants were required, the Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) and Combat Support Vehicle (CSV).[91]

The previous Category B variant was eliminated because it proved to be too heavy to meet the required weight of approximately 15,639 lb to make it transportable by Army CH-47F and Marine Corps CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters.[92]

The Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) configuration replaced the previous Category A and Category B configurations and was a 4-seat vehicle with a 3,500-pound payload. The Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) replaced the previous Category C configuration and was a 2-seat vehicle with a 5,100-pound payload. The CTV and CSV variants that appeared in CDD version 3.3 had requirements for configurations. Configuration refers to the different types of mission packages that would be installed into each of the two variants. CDD version 3.3 required six configurations. CDD version 3.6 was published for entry into the EMD phase in August, this reducing from six to four the total number of to configurations required.[1]

The JLTV family now consists of three base vehicle platforms, Utility (JLTV-UTL), Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC) and General Purpose (JLTV-GP). The Utility base vehicle platform is a two-door configuration, the General Purpose and Close Combat Weapons Carrier base vehicle platforms are a four-door configuration. Standard U.S. military M-designators are applied base vehicle platforms when outfitted to a specific Mission Package Configuration. These currently are:

There is also a companion trailer (JLTV-T), this towable by all JLTV variants.[89]

See also

References

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