DETROIT, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- General Dynamics and AM General have formed a joint venture to compete for the U.S. military's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) contract.
The new company, called General Tactical Vehicles, will be located in Detroit and combine the design skills of the two firms, the companies said in a news release Wednesday.
The JLTV program will replace the Humvee, which AM General currently builds for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, with a versatile vehicle that is basically better armored and capable of hauling larger payloads. Like the Humvee, the JLTV will be small enough to be transported by cargo plane and ship and will come in five variants: tactical combat, reconnaissance, infantry carrier, utility and command-and-control.
The vehicle will also be capable of having additional armor installed and will be wired for networked communications and have the battery capacity to run electronic gear for extended periods with the engine off.
The Pentagon is expected to formally solicit bids this spring. Both AM General and General Dynamics were awarded "Best Technical Approach" trade studies last year by the Office of Naval Research.
Lockheed Martin and Armor Holdings last fall launched their own joint venture to compete for the program.
