don’t know too much about it, but AM General is doing a new revised version of the current JLTV truck. What I do know is that they won’t have to retool their assembly lines very much, and the power pack is similar but also built a little heavier. The truck will weigh a little more with a good bit of revised weaponry. It appears that this new one will replace the older design completely
gary
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I don’t know much about this either as information online is scarce.
I surmise AM General won because they can make the JLTV a bit cheaper and better using better manufacturing techniques.
I don’t know about the revised weaponry though…the JLTV should have a RWS and maybe even a turret when possible.
what I told you came thru a back door channel where I worked. AM General used to be owned by American Motors, and was picked up by Chrysler who promptly sold it to General Motors, and they in turn sold it off to somebody else (don’t remember who). It’s fairly small company, and think both plants were in Indiana. The engineering plant was closed years ago and Allison took on about half of the engineers. Their assembly line is probably TACOM property, and that would give them an edge over new bidders (because it’s empty).
gary
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I thought Oshkosh Defense was the sole producer of the JLTV, along with the M-ATV the HET, the HEMTT and the FMTV.
So it looks like the construction contract has been awarded to AM General to build however many JLTVs. Oshkosh is protesting the award. Oshkosh Defense files formal protest to Army's JLTV award to AM General
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That would make sense; the Army and Marines want a ton of the new vehicles to fully replace the HMMWV as the primary light utility vehicle platform for their branches. I would’ve thought that they (Oshkosh) would have a big enough operation to meet the DoD contract…
Well? Now that AM General is done with HMMWV production (in large scale for the US military); they can shift production and assembly for the JLTVs. I know they (AM General) definitely have the production capacity and infrastructure already in place.
I would have too, but they don’t. I visited their facility to get photos when I was at Fort McCoy. They farm out a lot of finishing work to other local facilities. And even then, other additions, i.e. spare tire rack, don’t get added until they reach Ft. McCoy. Ft McCoy holds a driver’s training for the JLTV, so a bulk of them get sent there for those last assemblies.
Taken in Bubba’s Garage down the road from the Osh Kosh facility:
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be interesting, as it’s nothing but politics. Having never seen the original contracts, one can only guess. Still every contract has at least one alternate supplier, and AM General may have been in that position. Although I’d have bet the farm on Stewart & Stephenson to win. Allison and G.M. (or Detroit Diesel) will do the power packs. I’d also suspect that Oshkosh will get the contract for the sheet metal while the frame and running gear are probably from Dana. All AM General will do is assembly work. AM General probably is free to redesign the sheet metal, but the design is owned by TACOM 100%. Contracts have already been cut to supply the new JLTV to several foreign powers.
gary
that’s an LCT 2000 series gear box behind a Duramax diesel
gary