QUANTICO, Va. - While the HMMWV has served the U.S. Army well for some 25 years, there's a "capability gap" in what it can do for warfighters on a 21st century battlefield, says the soldier responsible for overseeing its replacement. That replacement is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, said Col. John Cavedo, manager, Joint Program Office for JLTV, during an off-road demonstration at the Transportation Demonstration Support Area, June 14. Cavedo said the JLTV "closes the capability gap" left by the HMMWV.
Marine Lt. Col. Mike Burks, deputy, JPO, JLTV explained the gap. "We've been trying to break the laws of physics by overloading the HMMWV with survivability measures," Burks said. "The HMMWV is overloaded even before a soldier or Marine gets inside." The other vehicle used to transport soldiers and Marines around the battlefield, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, has the necessary armor to defeat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and has saved many lives. However, Burks said the MRAP lacks mobility.
One of the MRAP variants weighs as much as three JLTVs, Burks said. The weight of that MRAP means it can't be transported by the Army CH-47 Chinook or the Marine CH-53E Super Stallion, the heavy-lift helicopters of the services. Burks also said that an additional concern for the Marine Corps, in regard to the MRAP, is that it can't be moved from ship to shore like other light wheeled vehicles.
The Army, the lead for the JLTV portfolio, plans to purchase some 49,000 JLTVs, with 5,500 for the Marine Corps. The average production cost will not exceed $250,000 per vehicle, said Cavedo. Various JLTVs may also be specialized with kits for performing different missions, including fording, combat buffering or command. That specialization may change the cost of a particular vehicle. Despite sequestration and budget shortfalls, the JLTV program is still on track for fiscal year 2015, Cavedo said. At that time, the JLTV contract will be awarded and the 20-plus-year production cycle will begin.
Last year, three manufacturers were selected and they are now competing for the JLTV contract. They are Oshkosh Defense, which builds MRAPs and other Army vehicles; Lockheed Martin, which produces the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System vehicle; and AM General, which builds the HMMWV.
IED blast and shot testing has already been conducted at Aberdeen Test Center, Maryland. While not at liberty to say the levels of the blasts, Cavedo said the JLTV's survivability is comparable to that of the MRAP. The next milestone will come in mid-August, when each competitor will turn over 22 JLTV prototypes for testing. Those 66 vehicles will undergo 14 months of rigorous testing in a variety of battlefield scenarios conducted by soldiers and Marines. In early fiscal year 2015, following user testing, the requirements document will be revalidated to ensure the original requirements are still pertinent. After that, a winner will be chosen.
