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
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	Oshkosh Corporation
Designed	2005–2015
Manufacturer	Oshkosh Defense
Unit cost	US$433,539 (inc R&D) (FY15)
Produced	2016 (Low Rate Initial Production, LRIP)
Variants	M1278, M1279, M1280, M1281, plus a companion trailer. Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (LRV) (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	GM Duramax V8, 6.6-litre of unspecified power output (est. 300 hp (224 kW))
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 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. 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). 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.

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.

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.