AM General has decisive advantage for the joint light tactical vehicle programme

The company that has manufactured more military light tactical vehicles than any other in the United States is poised to produce the joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV), the next-generation light tactical vehicle (LTV) for soldiers, marines and other American service members performing their missions around the world.

AM General delivered 22 of its blast resistant vehicle off-road (BRV-O) JLTVs for the engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase of the programme, to the US Government last August ahead of schedule. The company manufactured the vehicles on the same light tactical vehicle assembly line that has turned out approximately 3,00,000 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) for all branches of the US military and more than 50 international customers.

“We are unique in the JLTV programme with our fully tooled production line; long experience in high-quality, lean manufacturing; successful track record of on-time and at-cost delivery; highly skilled workforce, and network of 1,700 suppliers across 43 states,” said AM General Vice President Business Development and Program Management Chris Vanslager. “Low-risk, high-quality and affordability is what our customer requires, and we at AM General, have more than five decades of experience and the heritage of manufacturing light tactical vehicles to deliver those requirements to the men and women of the armed services.”

The company’s LTV Assembly Line has the flexibility and tooling to economically and efficiently produce the BRV-O as well as HMMWV simultaneously, in multiple variants and volumes, to meet the needs of military customers. Besides its dedicated Military Assembly Plant in Mishawaka, Ind., AM General’s manufacturing capability is supported by its Engineering and Product Development Center in Livonia, Michigan, its engine manufacturing plant in Franklin, Ohio, its logistics support operations stretching from Indiana and around the globe, and its extensive LTV testing and training facilities in the South Bend, Indiana, area.

“We alone bring to the table everything needed for successful, affordable and flexible manufacturing and life-cycle support to meet the needs of US and international armed forces for decades into the future,” said Vanslager