Army contracts Oshkosh for additional joint light tactical vehicles

July 2 (UPI) -- Oshkosh Defense has been awarded a $484 million contract to produce Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, or JLTV, for the U.S. Army.

The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is a modification to an existing contract for 1,574 vehicles and 7,538 kits. It includes installed and packaged kits.

The JLTV recently completed Reliability Qualification Testing earlier this year, accumulating over 100,000 miles and exceeding reliability requirements, according to Oshkosh.

The Army in February ordered 416 of the vehicles.

"This latest order follows the completion of the Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation conducted by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and further demonstrates that the JLTV program continues to be a top modernization priority for our armed services," said George Mansfield, vice president and general manager of joint programs at Oshkosh. "The JLTV is ready to support our troops, and we look forward to getting more soldiers and Marines into this extremely mobile, protected, and proven next-generation light tactical vehicle."

Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019.

Funds for Army procurement, as well as research, development, test and evaluation funds, will be obligated in the amount of more than $484 million at the time of the award.