Frag Out! Magazine

signed with three entities; each of them was to deliver, within the set deadline, 22 prototype vehicles (and six prototype trailers) that will then undergo 14-month tests, including traction tests and tests for ballistic and mine resistance. Among the winners of the engineering and productions stage were AM General (as an independent tenderer with the BRV-O vehicle), Lockheed Martin and Oshkosh.Other companies could still participate and con- tinue to develop their constructions but, of course, they had to finance such works from their own funds. The re- sult of the tender was subject to a protest already on 31 August by Navistar. However, the protest was withdrawn after few days. Prototype vehicles with trailers were de- livered by the winner companies for tests at the end of August in 2013, the testing program started in September 2013 and was conducted mainly in Aberdeen, Yuma and Redstone. FINAL SELECTION On 12 December 2014, the DoD release RFP concerning a full-rate production of JLTVs. The final offers were submitted by three companies par- ticipating in the tender: AM General, Oshkosh Defense and Lockheed Martin. On 25 August 2015, a meeting of the Department of Defense Committee for Military Purchases was held, during which a decision was made that con- cerned choosing the L-ATV by Oshkosh Defense; it was then thought that this was to end the tender proceedings for full-rate production of JLTV vehicles. Oskosh Defense was awarded $6.7 billion contract for manufacturing 16,901 L-ATV vehicles (Oshkosh JLTV) in all variants in- cluded in the agreement will be applied, while the low rate initial production run amounts to $114.6 million and con- cerns 183 vehicles (176 for the US Army and seven for the USMC). It was planned that the full-scale production of the ordered vehicles under the current agreement (includ- ing variants) would begin in the first quarter of the FY2016 and will last until 2024. It was assumed that in the case of production of 55,000 vehicles, the last vehicle for the USMC will be delivered in 2022, while for the US Army - in 2041. In 2018, the first brigade battle team reequipped with Oshkosh JLTV vehicles should reach its initial com- bat readiness. On 8 September 2015, Lockheed Martin challenged the results of the tender claiming that their of- fer was the most advantageous in technical and financial terms, as well as indicating that they do not agree with the manner their offer was assessed by the Department of Defense. The government supervision bureau has 100 days to address the protest, but many observers of the JLTV claim that the protest will be rejected. Nevertheless, works on performing the tender must be withheld until the protest is considered. www.fragoutmag.com

• Cover