ZEEGNITION/Ajit Menon
For over three decades, the Humvees have been serving the US Army since its induction, be it in Afghanistan, Iraq, the middle east or in the US itself. And with the advancement of technology, the US Army has found a replacement for the vulnerable Humvees, and it is called Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or JLTV, a more advanced and capable in terms of the protection they offer.
Built by Oshkosh Defense, the JLTV was chosen from 22 prototypes fielded by three major US defence giants that included Lockheed Martin and AM General which makes the Humvee. Oshkosh Defense has now been contracted to supply 17,000 JLTVs to the US Army to begin with as part of a $6.7 billion deal.
The need for a Humvee replacement came following heightened threats (such as improvised explosive devices) soldiers were exposed to in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US Army felt it needed a more robust, faster vehicle to protect its soldiers especially from landmines and roadside bombs, something the Humvee was found inadequate to deal with. Speaking to the Washington Post, John Urias, President, Oskhosh Defense, summed up the JLTV as a military vehicle that can provide “the ballistic protection of a light tank, the underbody protection of an MRAP-class (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle and the off-road mobility of a Baja racer.”
The JLTV is said to travel at speeds 70 per cent faster than the Oshkosh M-ATV, besides being one-third lighter. It’s got adjustable suspension that can be controlled from the inside and offers 20-inches of wheel travel for extreme off-road capability. Despite its size, the JLTV has a turning radius of just 25 feet (7.62 metres) which is much less than even a Land Rover Discovery Sport whose turning radius is 38.1 feet (11.6m). The hull designs are built to optimize survivability against a full range of blast and ballistic threats and the seats are blast-protected too to help minimize impact.
The JLTV will be produced in two variants – a four-seat, combat-ready vehicle and a two-seat support vehicle, along with a corresponding trailer. Expect the first batch of the JLTVs to be inducted into the US Army in 2018.
