InsideDefense.com reports that the US Army and Marine Corps have agreed on a new set of base requirements for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, including a heavier kerb weight and relaxed transportability requirements, in what may be an effort to shield the program from lawmakers seeking to terminate it.
The latest changes to the JLTV’s draft specifications were made late last week as Army officials participated in meetings in Washington to discuss the service’s tactical wheeled vehicle strategy.
“Substantive changes were made to the following requirements: JLTV curb weight, increasing from 13,800 pounds to 14,000 pounds; the JLTV system decomposition was fully detailed; mobility testing will be conducted at gross vehicle weight with protection level 2 B-kit installed; the JLTV operating limit was standardised to 125 degrees Fahrenheit; and susceptibility to radiated emissions was deleted,” according to an Army official close to the program.
“Transportability, under the most stressing conditions – which drove weight – and reliability requirements have been relaxed.
The idea is to get a vehicle that can be incrementally improved on over time.” – InsideDefense.com