The Lithuanian defense ministry has signed a contract with the US government for the acquisition of an additional 300 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) from Oshkosh Defense.
The contract that was signed earlier this week will bring the total number of vehicles on order for the Lithuanian armed forces to 500 units.
Lithuania ordered the first 200 units in 2019, receiving the first batch of 50 vehicles in August last year. The country plans to receive next batch of 50 “in a month or two,” while the remaining 100 units of the initial order are to arrive in 2023.
“The additional procurement of 300 of the JLTV from the US is one of the most important steps in the process of modernization of the Lithuanian armed forces. Our military cooperation with the United States is expanding and we are capable of contributing to the security of the eastern flank of NATO together. This sends a strong signal to our allies that Lithuania not only assists Ukraine in its struggle with everything we have but also takes care to invest in its own defense and the defense of the whole alliance,” Arvydas Anušauskas, Lithuania’s defense minister said.
According to the country’s deputy defense minister Vilius Semeška, Lithuania has negotiated an accelerated delivery of the JLTV, which will see the first vehicles of the new batch arrive in Lithuania in 2023. What is more, all the remaining vehicles are set to be gradually delivered through 2024.
The defense ministry further said that the new vehicles would have additional turrets armed with 12.7 mm M2 QCB (Quick Change Barrel) 12.7mm machine guns.
As a successor for the Humvee in the US military, the JLTV is air-transportable (CH-47 and CH-53 helicopters; C-130, C-5, C-17 and A400 Cargo fixed-wing aircraft) and can be delivered in a multitude of versions ranging from general purpose to heavy guns carrier.
The vehicles come with integrated C4ISR capabilities and have a payload of 2,313 kg in the two-door configuration, and 1,587 kg in four-door configuration.
In 2015, Oshkosh Defense won the contract to supply the US Army with an initial 17,000 JLTVs. The Army is now negotiating a follow-on contract to supply an additional 15,000 vehicles, with Oshkosh a leading contender. There is also expanding interest in Oshkosh JLTVs internationally, with orders from seven NATO and allied forces including, Belgium, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Brazil, and Romania.
