AM General to delay delivery of JLTVs
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South Bend-based AM General is delaying the delivery of its first Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, or JLTVs, to the U.S. Army by six months, a military spokesperson confirmed to Inside INdiana Business on Tuesday.
AM General was tapped to produce the next-generation JLTVs last year after receiving an initial $230 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The spokesperson said in addition to the normal start of production headwinds, the transition of production from the Army’s previous contractor “presented unique challenges for AM General related to sourcing directed parts, intellectual property, tooling, and part qualification.”
“AM General is proactively addressing these issues, however, a six-month schedule adjustment to the initial delivery orders will be required to safeguard quality and manufacturing readiness requirements,” the spokesperson said.
AM General was awarded the contract over Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense, which had produced the JLTVs since 2015. Oshkosh filed a formal bid protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office over the Army’s decision, questioning AM General’s capabilities to produce the vehicles.
The new JLTV, dubbed the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle A2, were first unveiled last month at the Eurosatory expo in Paris, France.
The company said the A2 features improved fuel efficiency via upgraded transmission gear coding, enhanced lithium-ion battery replacing lead-acid batteries, upgraded corrosion protection and improved accessibility for easier maintenance.
The spokesperson said the enhancements will ensure the JLTV maintains a high operational availability rate while delivering sustainment savings over its planned 30-year service life.
“AM General has committed to incorporating all required configuration changes (hardware and software) into the initial production of JLTV A2s that will minimize retrofit activities and maximize warfighting capability.”
The JLTVs are being produced at AM General’s plant in Mishawaka. The company said last year it is investing $70 million to expand the facility to accommodate production, which is expected to create some 300 jobs.
AM General’s contract could be worth $8.6 billion over the next decade for more than 20,000 JLTVs and approximately 10,000 trailers.