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Oshkosh to make new M-ATV, Pentagon says

Oshkosh Corp. has won a $1 billion contract to build new, mine-resistant vehicles for off-road use in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Tuesday, with soldiers and Marines expected to receive the bulk.

The Wisconsin-based vehicle maker will oversee production of 2,244 heavily anticipated Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles, and the order could grow to as many as 10,000 M-ATVs, Pentagon officials have said.

The M-ATV is needed to provide the same type of protection expected of the MRAP while offering additional mobility, top Pentagon officials have said. MRAPs have struggled with the rocky terrain in Afghanistan.

On June 2, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council approved a plan for 5,244 M-ATVs to be built, said Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon spokeswoman. The plan calls for the Army to receive 2,598, with the Corps getting 1,565, Special Operations Command receiving 643, the Air Force getting 280 and the Navy receiving 65. An additional 93 vehicles would be set aside for testing, Irwin said.

Because of the Pentagon’s urgent demand for these vehicles, Oshkosh began daily production on its manufacturing line a few weeks ago and may enlist the help of others to increase production, company officials said in statement. Oshkosh beat out three other teams to build the M-ATV: BAE Systems, Navistar International Corp., and Force Dynamics, a joint venture between General Dynamics Corp. and Force Protection Inc.