U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) awarded Oshkosh Defense more than $40 million to recapitalize the U.S. Army Reserve’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) fleet, according to a Dec. 26 company news release. Under the contract, Oshkosh Defense will upgrade the fleet of Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) to the latest model configuration and rebuild them as zero-mile, zero-hour as-new condition.
The Army’s HEMTTs carry out a wide range of duties, with multiple variants ranging from fuel trucks to wreckers to logistics vehicles carrying up to 13 tons of cargo. The latest HEMTT A4 has power, maintenance, and safety improvements, including air-conditioned, armor-ready cabs, electrical upgrades, and anti-lock braking.
A convoy comprised of 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) HEMTT fuelers departs Fort Drum, N.Y., Nov. 5, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Katie Wright
More than 90 vehicles will be upgraded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, under the contract, with deliveries beginning in fiscal year 2019.
“Our recapitalization services offer significant cost savings to the Army Reserves by returning vintage vehicles to current operational readiness with the same performance and life cycle cost advantages of a new vehicle,” said Pat Williams, Oshkosh Defense vice president and general manager of Army and Marine Corps programs. “Recapitalized vehicles are assembled on the same production line as new vehicles, and put through the same extensive performance tests and inspection procedures as new vehicles. As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Oshkosh can modernize these vehicles to the latest configuration and quickly return them to operations.”