Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The U.S. Military has been planning to replace the Humvee with a new light vehicle for years, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program took shape as far back as 2005. The JLTV followed the same format as most other military initiatives for developing new equipment: the government released a list of requirements, and major companies produced prototypes that attempted to meet those requirements. The company whose prototype came out on top would be offered the contract.

In August 2015, the Oshkosh Corporation, an American producer of specialty trucks, won the JLTV program with its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle, or L-ATV. The L-ATV will not completely replace the Humvee as originally expected; instead it will be fielded alongside the Humvee with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, possibly phasing the Humvee out in the future.

The JLTV program required the new vehicle to have numerous improvements over the Humvee. Here are some of the demands that Oshkosh's L-ATV had to meet: 

The new vehicle would include a trailer that could double its payload capacity. It would have a vastly-improved temperature control system, and jam-resistant doors that would allow passengers to escape even if the vehicle was damaged.


The new vehicle was required not to exceed certain weight limits so that it would be compatible with existing systems in place for transporting vehicles.  It was required to be able to travel a set distance even after critical components were damaged, and to run on two flat tires.

Stringent requirements were set for the vehicle's ability to start at low temperatures, and its operational range on a single tank of fuel. The vehicle had to be capable of fording 60 inches of saltwater without any additional equipment in forward and reverse.

It was required to be able to drive off an 18-inch step without sustaining damage, to navigate steep slopes and difficult terrain, and even to be able to climb a 20-foot flight of stairs.

The JLTV program required the new vehicle to implement a flexible armor system that allowed crews to easily install or remove different levels of protection for different circumstances in the field. Having armor mounted only when it's needed is expected to reduce overall costs and extend the lifespan of the vehicles. Other requirements included automatic fire-extinguishing systems and self-sealing fuel tanks.

The Oshkosh Corporation's L-ATV is expected to begin service in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in fiscal year 2018.