*Source: DTN News / MCSC Corporate Communications
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - July 5, 2009: The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the award of an initial production delivery order to Oshkosh Corporation for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). This delivery order award effectively ends the Source Selection to produce the M-ATV. 
Oshkosh Corporation’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) is tested on some rough terrain. (Oshkosh photo)
The M-ATV is a separate category within the MRAP family of vehicles. Its mission is small unit combat operations in highly restricted, rural, mountainous and urban environments, including mounted patrols, reconnaissance, security, convoy protection, communications, command and control, and combat service support. This category will carry up to five personnel – four plus a gunner.
The Defense Department has authority to procure up to 5,244 M-ATVs, as funding becomes available. The indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract is a three-year contract with possible delivery orders up to $3.3 billion for the production, delivery and associated support of the M-ATV. Under the contract, Oshkosh Corporation will produce and deliver M-ATVs as fast as possible to meet the urgent need in Afghanistan. In order to do this, Oshkosh Corporation is expected to eventually produce up to 1,000 vehicles a month. Oshkosh Corporation plans to reach that monthly mark by December 2009. It is anticipated that the first M-ATVs will be fielded before the end of the year. These vehicles will be used to complement the other tactical vehicles, including MRAPs, already in the theater of operations.
As part of the MRAP vehicle program, the M-ATV is a high-priority, accelerated acquisition program supporting the Overseas Contingency Operations. It retains the highest possible Defense Priority Rating, DX. The M-ATV program will produce a lighter, more maneuverable off-road vehicle that incorporates MRAP-level protection geared for the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. The program derived from an urgent and compelling requirement to protect America’s warfighters with a highly survivable and off-road capable vehicle. The program is the result of a Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement (JUONS) from U.S. Central Command.
“The M-ATV procurement is the result of an extremely comprehensive and rigorous source selection process, which appropriately weighed survivability, mobility, maneuverability, production capability, price and other factors within the context of the urgent need for the procurement,” said Brigadier General Michael M. Brogan, Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC), and Joint Program Executive Officer of the MRAP Vehicle Program. “The acquisition process determined the most capable and best performing vehicle against stringent survivability requirements. Extensive test and evaluation with volumes of empirical data were produced on which a “best value” decision was based. It was detailed, thorough and fair, and the results have been reviewed by an OSD peer review team made up of senior contracting officials.”
The government used the same fundamental acquisition strategy as the original MRAP program: utilize initial criteria of survivability / mobility (screening for survivability and ability to produce); award IDIQ contracts; live fire test for survivability; use existing MRAP Joint Program Office (JPO) infrastructure to procure, test, field, train and support the JUONS.
The MCSC Commander believes the M-ATV program will be as successful as the overall MRAP vehicle program.
“We have taken delivery of more than 16,190 vehicles since we first released that initial request for proposals in November of 2006,” Brogan said, referring to MRAP.
Ultimately, according to Brogan, the M-ATV is about providing a survivable vehicle to get troops safely through their mission and back to their home base.
“The M-ATV is meant to augment the vehicle fleet so they can transport troops where they need to go safely,” he said. “It’s intended to be a survivable alternative to up armored HMMWVs.”
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