The new Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicles arrived at 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa, Japan.
With armor, an engine, and durability greater than that of the Humvee, the JLTV is a valuable new asset to 3rd Marine Division and will greatly increase mission success and lethality, according to a recent service news release.
“The JLTV rebalances the ‘Iron Triangle’,” says Andrew Rodgers, the program manager for the JLTV. “Payload, performance, and protection. We’re restoring the capability we had in the HMMWV prior to a war that involved [improvised explosive devices] and roadside ambushes.”
As technology progresses, so does the weight requirement to carry new equipment to sustain and protect Marines to complete missions. HMMWVs are being overloaded past their intended payload, degrading the vehicle’s mobility and range before operational mission failure.
The JLTV trumps the HMMWV in every aspect of the triangle: a scalable engine with a base tune that currently doubles the horsepower of the HMMWV; an increased operating payload to roughly 2,500 more pounds; and increased organic protection before additional armor kits, which results in an increased average vehicle range before operational mission failure.
The superior vehicle will allow the Division to be more capable and lethal in the Indo-Pacific. The plan is to field every JLTV in the Marine Corps by January 2034. III Marine Expeditionary Force will be fully fielded by July 2027. Several JLTVs have already been fielded to multiple training locations, and 3rd Marine Division has received its first fleet this month. Marines have begun training on the new vehicle and remain ready to fight tonight.