Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress

Andrew Feickert
Specialist in Military Ground Forces

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is currently being developed by the Army and the Marine Corps as a successor to the 11 different versions of the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that have been in service since 1985. On October 28, 2008, three awards were made for the JLTV Technology Development (TD) Phase, which is scheduled to conclude in the June 2011 timeframe, for a total of $166 million to three industry teams. Prototypes from (1) BAE Systems, (2) the team of Lockheed Martin and General Tactical Vehicle, and (3) AM General and General Dynamics Land Systems are being tested at Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland and the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona for each of the three JLTV categories. Once testing is completed and technology requirements are established, a full and open competition is expected to be conducted in the late summer, 2011, for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase. The Department of Defense (DOD) plans to award two contracts for the EMD phase, which is scheduled to last 24 months.

The Marines have expressed reservations with the JLTV program because, at its current estimated weight of 20,000 pounds, it does not lend itself to Marine Corps expeditionary operations. The Marines do not rule out removing themselves from the program and modifying current vehicles if developers cannot address their specific requirements. The Army is said to be “moving ahead” with the JLTV program, appearing less concerned than the Marines that final JLTV versions might not be CH-47 and CH-53 helicopter and C-130 cargo aircraft transportable. Some describe the Army and Marines as “striking out on a separate path” with the Army more concerned with survivability and the Marines concerned that heavier JLTVs could cause weight problems on the Navy’s amphibious ships.

DOD has not publically assigned a definitive cost to the JLTV program, suggesting that it is too early in the development process to determine an accurate cost estimate. Some defense and trade analysts suggest that the JLTV program will cost well over $10 billion and possibly as much as $30 billion to $70 billion, depending on the final cost of the vehicles chosen and the number of vehicles procured. There are also concerns that JLTV program costs will increase as the program moves through the TD phase of development.

Congress has recommended fully funding DOD’s FY2011 JLTV Budget Request for $84.7 million for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) but has directed that the Army and Marines establish separate RDT&E accounts for the JLTV program to enhance oversight and increase program transparency. The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee has reportedly recommended that the funding for the JLTV EMD contract would be more appropriately considered in the FY2012 Budget Request and therefore decreased the Marine Corps FY2011 request by $16.3 million and the Army’s request by $15.2 million.

Concerns have been expressed that DOD’s Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP)All - Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) effort will clash with the JLTV. Some defense officials note a “striking similarity” between the M-ATVs and JLTVs, suggesting potential redundancies between the two vehicles. There are also concerns about overall JLTV program affordability and costs, as well as the Army’s decision to not provide an estimate on future quantities of JLTVs to be procured in the June 2010 Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Acquisition Strategy report to Congress. Some view this lack of an Army procurement objective for JLTVs as an open-ended commitment which could have future cost implications.


Date of Report: September 17, 2010
Number of Pages: 12
Order Number: RS22942
Price: $29.95

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