Oshkosh wins $49.2-million US military contract

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Oshkosh Truck Corp., known in the trucking business for its venerable yard tractors, has secured a $49.2-million US contract to build a tactical vehicle for the U.S. Marine Corps.

The contract is part of a $853-million multi-year agreement to produce 5666 new cargo medium tactical vehicle replacements (MTVR). An additional 2502 vehicles will be made at the U.S. Defense Dept.’s option, bringing the total value of the contract to more than $1.2 billion.

Oshkosh produces several vehicles designed for military use in addition to its specialty-use commercial trucks.

Developed to replace the Marine Corps’ aging fleet of M809 and M939 series five-ton trucks, the MTVR is an all-wheel-drive vehicle with a dual-rated payload capacity of seven tons off-road and 15 tons on-road. It can haul personnel and material up 60-degree grades, ford creeks as deep as 60 inches, travel through mud, sand, and snow, and can reach highway speeds of 65 m.p.h., noted Robert G. Bohn, president and chief executive officer of Oshkosh Truck.

The truck is powered by a Caterpillar 425-horsepower engine and an Allison seven-speed automatic transmission.

Prototype vehicles recently completed a 12,000-mile-per-vehicle durability and performance evaluation. Ten vehicles must be delivered for additional performance and durability testing in December 1999, Oshkosh said.

Oshkosh will assemble MTVRs at its plant in Oshkosh, Wis. The company manufactures defense and commercial vehicles on the same line; the MTVR will be integrated into the current product mix, the company said.