Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is present its latest vehicle innovations for the U.S. Army at the ongoing AUSA 2011 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (10-12 October 2011).

The Oshkosh vehicles on display, including the Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV), the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) tactical ambulance and the TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology, demonstrate the company’s ability to meet the Army’s needs through innovative, cost-effective solutions.

“Our extensive experience with the U.S. Army’s military vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan gives us a real appreciation for the operational challenges facing our customer,” said Mike Ivy, Vice President and General Manager of Army Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Our understanding of those challenges, combined with our expertise as the Army’s heavy and medium tactical wheeled vehicle and M-ATV supplier, gives us tremendous insight as our nation approaches leaner defense budgets. We remain committed to delivering exceptional value to the Army – from production through the entire life cycle, whatever the fleet.”

The L-ATV builds on the success of proven technologies, advanced armor solutions and expeditionary levels of mobility, bringing new levels of protection and maneuverability to the battlefield in the form of a light-duty vehicle.

The L-ATV uses the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent suspension system to deliver new levels of off-road mobility. Its armored capsule is optimized for protection, weight and mobility, and can accept multiple armor configurations to protect troops from IEDs and other threats. An optional Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric hybrid powertrain can maximize the L-ATV’s efficiency through improved fuel economy, high levels of exportable power - both stationary and on the move - and lower life-cycle costs.

The M-ATV tactical ambulance was developed based on a need identified for a vehicle that allows medics to reach and care for injured troops in challenging operating environments. The M-ATV tactical ambulance delivers the same protected mobility as the M-ATV base and accommodates four patients, up to two of whom can be on litters, for optimal capacity and configuration flexibility. The vehicle is the lightest, most mobile MRAP ambulance available to the U.S. military, and two litter-bound patients can be loaded into the vehicle in less than two minutes for minimal exposure to enemy fire.

The Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology is designed to retain a vehicle’s original payload and performance capabilities. Designed as a scalable kit, it can be integrated on vehicles, including those built by other manufacturers, as they are produced or retrofitted on existing vehicle fleets. The TerraMax technology can function in the same weather conditions and operating environments as manned vehicles, requiring minimal human interaction and operator training.

The FMTV wrecker, also on display at AUSA, was developed to provide the U.S. Army and National Guard recovery capabilities for medium and light tactical wheeled vehicles in the most extreme conditions. The wrecker uses a retrieval system that has been proven in the field for more than 25 years on multiple Oshkosh vehicles, including the U.S. Army’s Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) as well as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) and Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR).
 
AUSA attendees will have an opportunity to support the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a national organization that provides compassionate care, free of charge, for the families of fallen military members, by signing a wall at Oshkosh’s booth. Oshkosh will donate $2 to TAPS for every signature collected until it reaches a goal of $100,000. TAPS has provided support to more than 30,000 family members since 1994. Oshkosh Defense has a long-standing history of supporting military members and families, both in the field and back at home, through charitable giving and program support.