Truck-makers will be among the defense contractors turning out for the annual Modern Day Marine expo this week in Quantico, Virginia.
Military.com will be dispatching team of reporters and videographers to cover the event, which runs Tuesday through Thursday at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Among the programs likely to be discussed is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a light-duty armored truck designed to replace the iconic Humvee.
The Army aims to purchase about 49,000 of the vehicles to replace about a third of its Cold War-era Humvee fleet, while the Marine Corps plans to acquire about 5,500 of them. Both services have pledged their commitment to the acquisition program despite automatic budget cuts known as sequestration.
The Pentagon has estimated the effort to develop and build the vehicles at almost $23 billion, or about $400,000 per truck, according to a 2013 report from the Congressional Research Service. Leaders have maintained each vehicle will cost about $250,000.
The Defense Department requested about $230 million for the acquisition effort in fiscal 2015, which begins Oct. 1, for a total of 183 vehicles, including 176 for the Army and seven for the Marine Corps, according to budget documents.
Lockheed Martin Corp., based in Bethesda, Md.; Oshkosh Corp., based in Oshkosh, Wis.; and AM General LLC, based in South Bend, Ind., won contracts to develop JLTV prototypes. One or more of them may be selected for a production contract expected next year.
“JLTV is a priority,” Kevin Fahey, the Army’s program executive officer for combat support and combat service support, said last year during a briefing with reporters.
