Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), announced that its Defense division has received a delivery order valued at $801 million from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) for more than 2,450 new and recapitalized Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and Palletized Load System Trailers (PLST). Work is expected to be completed by May 2011.
The delivery order calls for Oshkosh Defense to produce more than 1,190 new next-generation HEMTT A4s, more than 180 new HEMTT A2s and more than 80 PLSTs for the U.S. Army. Oshkosh also will deliver more than 1,020 recapitalized HEMTT A4s.
Said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer, “Our recapitalization services complement our robust manufacturing capabilities and ultimately provide like-new vehicles to our soldiers at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”
Oshkosh has produced more than 67,000 military-class vehicles at its facilities, including more than 30,000 FHTV vehicles. Oshkosh has the available capacity, highly skilled workforce and proven manufacturing capability to deliver this FHTV order as well as vehicles for other Army and Defense programs, including the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) and Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).
The Oshkosh HEMTT’s 13-ton payload and off-road capabilities make it the backbone for the U.S. Army’s logistics fleet. Since its introduction in 1985, the HEMTT has helped keep the Army on the move during major conflicts such as Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Improvements to create the HEMTT A4 include: a fully air-conditioned and armor-ready cab; more powerful drivetrain; improved suspension; and other structural changes to make installation of add-on armor in the field quicker and easier.
Built to load and unload a variety of cargo, the PLS is designed to meet the U.S. Army’s distribution and resupply needs in even the most challenging military missions. The PLS truck and trailer form a self-contained system that reduces the need for forklifts or other material-handling equipment. Additionally, they both carry a demountable cargo bed, also known as a flatrack that features a 16.5-ton payload capacity.
Through Oshkosh’s remanufacturing and recapitalization services, heavily used vehicles are returned to Oshkosh, stripped to their frame rails, completely rebuilt to like-new condition and upgraded to the new A4 configuration. Recapitalized vehicles are considered to have zero miles and zero hours, at a significantly reduced cost compared to new vehicles. These vehicles are put through the same road tests, performance tests and inspection procedures as new vehicles before being delivered with the same bumper-to-bumper warranty provided for new HEMTTs.