Oshkosh L-ATV

The Oshkosh L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle) (occasionally presented LATV) is a light utility/combat multi-role vehicle that is one of three remaining competitors for the US military's Army-led Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. In the very early stages of the program it was suggested that JLTV would replace the AM General High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or Humvee on a one-for-one basis. It is now suggested that the JLTV will part-replace the HMMWV, not replacing it on a like-for-like basis.

The L-ATV will deliver a level of protection similar to that of current, but far heavier and less maneuverable, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) class designs, these having far more protection from blast than even the latest up-armoured HMMWVs.

Design
The L-ATV is based around Oshkosh's TAK-4i (i = intelligent) independent suspension system. Around 26,000 military vehicles are fitted with the system these including the Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR), Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) and Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). The TAK-4 system has also been retro-fitted to the Force Protection Cougar and BAE Systems RG-33 MRAPs. The majority of systems supplied to date have been coil-sprung. The version fitted to the L-ATV remains undisclosed, but is not coil-sprung and is of the variable adjustable ride-height type with up to 20 inches of wheel travel, this 25 per cent more than the current standard.

Motive power for the JLTV variant of the L-ATV is provided by a digitally-controlled General Motors (GM) Duramax V8 cylinder 6.6-litre diesel engine of undisclosed power output, but estimated to be around 300 hp. In commercial use power output of this engine is currently up to 397 hp (296 kW) @ 3000 rpm. An unspecified fully automatic Allison Transmission is fitted, this coupled to an Oshkosh transfer case. It is currently not known if this is a single-speed, or two-speed (high/low ratio) transfer case.

The L-ATV can be fitted with the Oshkosh ProPulse diesel-electric powertrain, this previously fitted to the Oshkosh Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) and Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR). According to Oshkosh literature, the ProPulse diesel-electric powertrain dramatically improves fuel economy by up to >35 per cent in certain circumstances and serves as an on-board generator with enough output to power an entire airfied or hospital; the ProPulse system generates up to 120 kW of AC power for external operations. The hybrid powertrain is not a requirement of the JLTV program.

The L-ATV offers protection levels greater than those of up-armoured HMMWVs and comparable to those of original MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) class designs, but in an overall vehicle package that is considerably smaller and lighter than vehciles procurred under the US Marines MRAP procuremnet. The L-ATV is fully compliant with the US Army's Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS). LTAS is based around the A-kit/B-kit modular armour principle. The A-kit, which is installed during build, is primarily fixings for add-on armour but can include small amounts of armour fitted in difficult-to-reach areas. The B-kit is essentially the add-on armour, this added when required and as a modular add-on. According to the US Army, the A-kit/B-kit concept allows the Army flexibility in several areas: the armor B-kit can be taken off when not needed -- reducing unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicles; the Army can continue to pursue upgrades in armor protection -- adapting B-kits to match the threat; and the versatility of the B-kit enables the transfer of armor from unit to unit -- makes armor requirements affordable by pooling assets versus buying armor that is only for one vehicle.

The Oshkosh M-ATV (MRAP - All-Terrain Vehicle), which was procured primarily for Afghanistan where the earlier and bigger/heavier MRAPs had mobility issues, has protection comparable to the original MRAP designs but while smaller it still remains a relatively large vehcile. During the L-ATV design process, every component was optimized for survivability, resulting in the same level of protection in a vehicle 30 percent smaller. This resulted in a curb weight for the JLTV requirement of 14,000 lb, this almost one third the weight of the heavier MRAP (4x4) models, and almost half the weight of the original MRAP models. Payload allowance for JLTV in Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) configuration is four passengers and 3,500 lb of cargo, and in Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) configuration is two passengers and 5,100 lb of cargo.

The base L-ATV is not fitted with armament, however, it may be fitted with a selection of weapons including light, medium and heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, or anti-tank guided weapon(ATGW) missiles depending on user requirements. The weapons can be operated from ring mounts or a remote weapon station. Smoke grenade launchers for self-defence can also be fitted if required.

History
Oshkosh Defense first displayed the L-ATV at AUSA in Washington DC 10th to 12th October 2011. This, the first ‘public appearance’ for the design, was not an open appearance and came in the form of closed combined briefings/viewings to invited attendees only. Oshkosh briefed Jane's Independent Defense Review that the L-ATV has developmental origins that trace back to 2007 and Oshkosh/Northrop-Grumman’s failed JLTV proposal, with some sub-systems having a lineage that trace back two years earlier to 2005. At the time, L-ATV was the lightest tactical vehicle designed by Oshkosh, being some 50% lighter than anything previously productionised by the company.

At AUSA 2011, Oshkosh suggested that following then recent programme developments, L-ATV would be offered to meet the recently revitalised JLTV’s EMD (Engineering & Manufacturing Development) phase. On January 26, 2012, the RFP for JLTV’s EMD Phase was released. Industry proposals for were to be filed with the Army by March 13, 2012.

On 23 August 2012, the Army and Marine Corps selected the Oshkosh Defense L-ATV, and two other companies as the winners of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the JLTV competition. Oshkosh was awarded a contract to build 22 prototype vehicles in 27 months to be judged by the services.

On 6 February 2013, Oshkosh unveiled the Utility Varinat of its JLTV offer, this variant fulfilling JLTV's requirement for a two-seat cargo vehicle. The vehicle’s performance was demonstrated at the 2013 NATC Technology Rodeo at the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC). The Utility Variant is designed to provide mobility for loads such as containers, pallets and break bulk cargo The Utility Variant can also be outfitted as a shelter carrier to carry standard shelters for communications systems, on-board electronics and other functions. Payload capacity is in excess of 5,100 pounds. Both Oshkosh L-ATV variants leverage a common crew protection system, advanced automotive systems, and the patented Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent suspension system.

In June 2013, L-ATV prototypes participated in an event hosted by the U.S. JLTV Joint Program Office in Quantico, VA. The vehicles successfully completed the severe off-road track (SORT) without failure. The SORT demonstrated the L-ATV's ability to maneuver steep inclines, turn sharply, and operate in rugged terrain.

On 8 August 2013, Oshkosh delivered its first L-ATV JLTV prototype to the Army for government testing following a successful vehicle inspection by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The four-seat variant (which has two base platforms - Close Combat Weapons Carrier (CCWC) and the General Purpose (GP) ) and two-seat Utility Variant will be provided for evaluations.

On 27 August 2013, the Army and Marine Corps announced that full-scale testing of JLTV prototypes would begin the following week, with all three vendors having had 66 vehicles delivered. Each company delivered 22 vehicles and six trailers to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Previous testing had already put the vehicles through more than 400 ballistic and blast tests on armor testing samples; underbody blast testing; and more than 1,000 miles in shakedown testing. Soldiers from the Army Test and Evaluation Command and personnel from the Defense Department's Office of Test and Evaluation put the vehicles through realistic and rigorous field testing during 14 months of government performance testing. Testing was scheduled for completion by FY 2015, with a production contract to be awarded to a single vendor for almost 55,000 vehicles (49,099 Army; 5,500 Marines). The average unit manufacturing cost in A-kit (fitted for but not with armor) configuration is not to exceed $250,000. The Army has set an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of May 2018 and plans to complete its fielding by FY2040. The Marines have an IOC of December 2017, and plans to complete its fielding by FY2022. On 3 September 2013, full-pace, full-scope JLTV testing began at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Yuma, and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The program is on track despite sequestration, but if budget issues are not worked out the schedule could slip. One vendor will be selected by July 2015, and produce 2,000 vehicles for three years of additional testing to fine-tune the assembly line and full-up the system.

In July 2014, the L-ATV completed Net-Ready testing as part of the JLTV program, involving transferring data from onboard systems to external networks. On 17 July 2014, Oshkosh announced L-ATV had completed 200,000 miles and all requirements for Reliability, Availability, Maintainability (RAM) testing.

On 19 November 2014, Oshkosh announced the L-ATV had completed Limited User Testing (LUT) with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps for the JLTV EMD contract. The LUT focused on JLTV system capabilities, functions, operations, and interfaces in a range of simulated tactical environments covering operator and crew-level preventive maintenance for the entire system, ensuring they could operate proficiently and safely. The Army held theirs the previous September and October, where three tests were held as 96-hour cycles to simulate operational missions, one of which incorporated a live fire demonstration. The Marines completed two test cycles in October and November with one live fire demonstration.

The US Army released the final JLTV RFP on 12 December 2014. On 10 February 2015 Oshkosh Defense issued a press release announcing the company had submitted its proposal (the L-ATV) in response to the JLTV Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and Full Rate Production (FRP) RFP. Within that release, US Army Major General (Retired) John Urias, executive vice president of Oshkosh Corporation and president of Oshkosh Defense, said of Oshkosh's JLTV proposal: “Every aspect of the vehicle—inside and out—is optimized for the Warfighter in anticipation of future environments and threats. Our JLTV is simply the most capable, reliable light tactical vehicle that’s ever been built.”

On 31 March 2015, Oshkosh announced it would show its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) offering, the L-ATV at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2015 Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. The company also announced it would show its Virtual Task Trainer (VTT) for the L-ATV at the conference. The VTT is an interactive training module that provides interactive 3D training for soldiers in a safe and life-like virtual environment. Speaking of the VTT, Mike Ivy, vice president of global integrated product support for Oshkosh Defense said: "The addition of Oshkosh’s virtual training to our multi-faceted curriculum reduces the cost of operator training by improving training effectiveness and efficiency." He added: "We deployed the VTT to train operators during early JLTV testing with great results. Soldiers were really engaged, and our training was not only better, but it took less time than it would have without the VTT. This represents a significant cost savings opportunity for the government."