Lockheed Martin JLTV

Lockheed Martin JLTV
JLTV three variants during the Technology Development phase.
Type	light tactical vehicle
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	Lockheed Martin
Variants	A:, B:, C: (original), Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) and Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) (final)
Specifications
Weight	7,030 kg (15,500 lb)
Armor	A-kit/B-kit (classified)
Main armament	7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun
Secondary armament	up to four M7 smoke grenade dischargers
Engine	Cummins 4-cylinder diesel
Transmission	Allison
Suspension	Meritor ProTec HMIS (air, variable ride height))
Operational range	650 km (400 mi)
Speed	Forward Road: 105 km/h (65 mph) Off road: varies

The Lockheed Martin JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) is a prototype armor-capable vehicle that was one of six original competitors for a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle that will replace the Humvee. The JLTV goal was to provide a family of vehicles able to perform multiple missions protected, sustained and networked mobility for personnel and payload over a full range of operations. Lockheed's JLTV design lost out to the Oshkosh L-ATV in August 2015.

The Lockheed JLTV vehicles were powered by a Cummins diesel engine coupled to an Allison Transmission. The engine was the primary source of electrical and could provide external power for dismounted users. It could sustain top speeds exceeding 70 mph (110 km/h), ford 60 in (1.5 m) of salt or fresh water, and had a gross weight of 24,000 lb (11,000 kg). The four-cylinder engine had a fuel efficiency of as much as 14 miles per gallon, better than some SUVs. The system did not have an alternator, but instead used an in-line power generator capable of producing 24 kW of electricity, which could be scaled up to as much as 75 kW.

In August 2012, Meritor Inc. announced they would be integrating their ProTec High Mobility Independent Suspension (HMIS) into the Lockheed JLTV in response to its moving on to the EMD phase of testing. Meritor designed the ProTec Series 30 HMIS to provide enhanced off-road maneuverability and ride quality. Meritor asserted that the system underwent thorough testing, totaling over 100,000 miles of travel. The independent air suspension offered 16 in (410 mm) of travel and greatly reduced crew fatigue through a smoother ride over terrain.

The vehicle had an improved V-hull to protect from underbody blasts. It had standard armor protection and could accommodate add-on armor kits. In October 2011, Lockheed announced their JLTV met standards for IED-protected vehicles in government blast tests, providing the level of protection with 40 percent less weight than currently deployed all-terrain mine-protected vehicles. Its underbody used a modified V-hull called a "cursive W"-shaped hull that was effective in dissipating blasts forward, aft, and out to the sides.