Jane Edwards
Andrew Rodgers, program manager for light tactical vehicles at PEO Land Systems Marine Corps, said the U.S. Marine Corps plans to increase the number of joint light tactical vehicles it intends to buy from 5,500 to 9,092 units, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.
Rodgers told reporters Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia that the service intends to officially make changes to the JLTV procurement target over the next couple of years with plans to complete the acquisition by fiscal 2022.
The possible increase represents a 65 percent rise from the approved procurement goal of 5,500 JLTVs.
Oshkosh secured a potential $7 billion contract in 2015 to build JLTVs designed to replace the Humvees of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Dave Diersen, vice president and general manager for joint programs at Oshkosh Defense, said the company’s production lines can meet the increasing demand for the vehicles.
Army Col. Shane Fullmer, program manager for the JLTV joint program office, said the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command and foreign military agencies have expressed interest to purchase JLTVs.
The JPO said USMC and the Army expect to deploy the vehicles by 2019 with plans to achieve initial operating capability by fiscal 2020, the report added.
