General Tactical Vehicles’ ‘Eagle’ Is Its Bid for JLTV EMD

JLTV: And then there were SIX?

By Scott R. Gourley - April 13, 2012

General Tactical Vehicles’ Eagle entrant into the JLTV EMD phase is based on the existing Eagle IV manufactured by General Dynamics European Land Systems-MOWAG GmbH. Photo courtesy of General Tactical Vehicles

Building on activities conducted under one of three Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) technology development (TD) contracts awarded in late 2008, the General Tactical Vehicles (GTV) team of General Dynamics Land Systems and AM General has delivered its proposal for the follow-on engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase. The team’s proposal focuses on the Eagle vehicle, which it characterizes as a “ready-now offering for the JLTV requirement.”

The Eagle solution proposed for the JLTV requirements is based on the advanced GDELS-Mowag Eagle IV vehicle now in production. Photo courtesy of General Dynamics European Land Systems

The Eagle is based on the existing Eagle IV vehicle, built by General Dynamics European Land Systems and used by the Danish and German armies. Some 200 examples of the 400 Eagle IVs currently serving the German army have already been deployed to Afghanistan, according to the company. GTV touts the nearly 450,000 combat miles driven by Eagle IVs in Afghanistan as proof of the suitability, reliability, and readiness of an Eagle variant that would compete for the JLTV contract.

With Double-V Hull survivability features, Eagle is characterized by the joint venture as technology “restoring balance to the ‘Iron Triangle’ of protection, payload and performance.

“GTV understands the urgency and criticality of providing the warfighter with an operationally effective, survivable, and suitable JLTV solution. With the GTV JLTV Eagle, we offer a modified non-developmental, low-risk vehicle with inherent manufacturing readiness that is built for program success and an accelerated path to production. We are on the ground and running,” said Mark Roualet, chairman of the GTV board of directors. “We have a team with unparalleled experience that is offering a mature, fully transportable and highly reliable solution that is ready now. We have taken a tremendous vehicle and made it better – a combat proven platform, optimized for the U.S. soldier and U.S. Marine.”

“The GTV approach is about accountability, ownership, discipline, focus, speed, and commitment,” he added. “This commitment extends to schedule, meeting cost requirements, and delivering high quality equipment to soldiers and Marines.”