Oshkosh wins new series of defense contracts

Oshkosh Corporation Awarded $1.06 Billion Order for 1,700 Additional M-ATVs

Oshkosh, Wis. – Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) has received an additional $1.06 billion delivery order from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC). Oshkosh Defense will deliver 1,700 additional MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) to the U.S. Armed Forces by February 2010. The contract also includes aftermarket parts packages to be supplied by April 2010, along with field service support. The delivery order follows an initial $1.05 billion delivery order Oshkosh Defense received for 2,244 M-ATVs on June 30.

“At Oshkosh, our main focus is to ensure that M-ATVs are waiting in theater for the Warfighters when they arrive, rather than having the Warfighter wait for the vehicle,” said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer. “We are confident in our ability to ramp up production to 1,000 per month in December and this additional order will allow us to sustain that rate of production through February 2010.”

Oshkosh also announced it surpassed its first delivery requirements for 45 vehicles in July, by providing 46 units. “The target was 45 but we were able to deliver an additional vehicle. It’s an absolute testament to the quality and spirit of our customer, our employees and our suppliers who have come together to combine resources and work toward achieving a common mission – to serve our troops in Afghanistan,” stated Bohn.

The Oshkosh® M-ATV’s superior mobility, which includes a 70 percent off-road profile capability, is achieved through the incorporation of the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension system. The system has undergone more than 400,000 miles of government testing and is standard equipment on the more than 10,000 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR) used by the Marines and Navy Seabees, and also on the Army’s next-generation Palletized Load System (PLS) and the Marine Corps’ Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR).

Oshkosh Defense teamed with Plasan North America to provide an advanced armor solution for the M-ATV. Plasan also developed the armor system used on more than 5,000 legacy MRAPs and thousands of Oshkosh Armored Cab MTVRs already in theater.

Oshkosh Defense gets $43.8M for TAK-4/MRAP integration

Oshkosh’s Patented TAK-4® Independent Suspension

Oshkosh Defense has received aftermarket support contracts totaling $43.8 million to work with Force Protection Incorporated (FPI) to install the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system on more than 500 Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles for Afghanistan. FPI issued the supply order for engineering and technical support following two contracts awarded from the MRAP Joint Program Office.

The contracts for Oshkosh engineering and installation support will be performed at the MRAP Sustainment Facility in Kuwait and sent to the Afghan theater of operation.

Engineers installing the Oshkosh TAK-4 suspension upgrade kits will equip Cougars with the same off-road mobility offered on more than 10,000 Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR). The suspension kits were awarded under a previous contract and include the TAK-4 proprietary suspension system, an advanced Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), run-flat tires, steering and brake systems, and other component upgrades.

Vehicles outfitted with Oshkosh’s TAK-4 independent suspension system benefit from:
· Increased vehicle mobility – 16 inches of independent wheel travel provide advanced off-road capabilities in the most rugged terrain of Afghanistan
· Improved ride quality – shock and vibration are greatly reduced resulting in mission-ready soldiers and Marines and minimal component damage
· Greater off-road speeds – speed off-road is almost triple that of straight axle vehicles improving mobility as well as survivability
· Lower life-cycle costs – more than 75 percent of the parts are common with the U.S. Marine Corps MTVR for improved reliability, as well as streamlined availability and training.

In testing of early-fielded Cougars upgraded with TAK-4, the customer determined the enhancement significantly improved the vehicle’s mobility. Based on this successful testing, Oshkosh worked with FPI to develop a field-installable kit to upgrade the vehicle.

Oshkosh Defense Awarded $21 Million Delivery Order to Rebuild U.S. Army Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles

Oshkosh Defense has received a delivery order from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) to supply more than 100 remanufactured vehicles and trailers. The delivery order is valued at $21 million and production is to be completed by April 2010.

The order includes the remanufacturing of almost 50 M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporters (HET), 50 Palletized Load Systems (PLS) and more than 20 PLS Trailers (PLST). The PLS configurations produced under the delivery order include the M1074 and M1075.

Through Oshkosh’s remanufacturing and recapitalization services, heavily used vehicles are returned to Oshkosh, stripped to their frame rails and completely rebuilt to like-new condition. Vehicles are considered to have zero miles and zero hours, at no more than 75 percent the cost of a new vehicle. Vehicles are put through the same road tests, performance tests and inspection procedures as new vehicles before being delivered with a standard bumper-to-bumper warranty.

The Oshkosh HET is designed to rapidly transport battle tanks, fighting and recovery vehicles, armored vehicles and construction equipment, as well as a six-person crew, so the vehicles and soldiers arrive in mission-ready condition.

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, and they both carry a demountable cargo bed, also known as a flatrack, that features a 16.5-ton payload capacity.

Both vehicles are a part of the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV), which also includes the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). Oshkosh Defense has produced and delivered more than 30,000 HET, PLS and HEMTT vehicles under the FHTV contracts, and it was the first manufacturer to supply the Army with Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS)-compliant cabs.

Oshkosh Defense Awarded Two Delivery Orders Valued at $17 Million for MTVR Parts, Support Services

Oshkosh Defense has received two delivery orders from U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) to provide aftermarket parts and support services for the Oshkosh® Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR).

Under one delivery order, Oshkosh Defense will provide Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) repair of MTVRs at the company’s Kuwait facility. The delivery order extends through February 2010 and is valued at more than $9 million, with a potential value of up to approximately $32 million for the repair of up to about 400 MTVRs.

Under a second delivery order, Oshkosh Defense will supply the Marine Corps with 2,900 MTVR Turret Gunner Restraint Systems (TGRS). The delivery order is worth more than $7 million, with work scheduled to begin in August and end in April 2010.

The Oshkosh MTVR is an all-terrain, multipurpose logistics vehicle used by the Marines and Navy Seabees. It is available in several variants for the transportation of troops, materials or equipment. The vehicle features an off-road 7.1-ton payload capacity and an on-road 15-ton payload capacity.

(Photos & graphics from Oshkosh Corporation)

CLICK HERE to tell us what you think at the Militaria Message Board