Tuesday, December 07, 2010

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Military Orders First M-ATV Ambulances From Oshkosh Defense

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Military Orders First M-ATV Ambulances From Oshkosh Defense
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Oshkosh Defense
(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - December 7, 2010: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will provide the U.S. Armed Forces with the first MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (a href=http://bit.ly/bBhGMK>M-ATV) tactical ambulances, giving military medics new capabilities for reaching injured military personnel in otherwise inaccessible battlefield environments. Oshkosh received an order for 250 of the armored, highly mobile ambulances from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC).

“The addition of this vehicle to the U.S. services’ fleets will allow the military to provide urgent medical care in landscapes that are too rugged for other tactical ambulances,” said Ken Juergens, vice president and general manager of Joint Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “We invested in the development of the M-ATV ambulance in response to the military’s need for additional patient recovery and ground transport capabilities. This vehicle expands the military’s M-ATV family of vehicles currently protecting troops and supporting operations in Afghanistan.”

Oshkosh product-design teams worked closely with the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) on the M-ATV tactical ambulance’s design and interior layout. The vehicle can transport two litter patients in a side-by-side layout, and can be configured to carry up to four ambulatory patients. It will be equipped with military-grade ambulance equipment needed to care for patients, including oxygen concentrators, on-board power for medical equipment and IV stabilization equipment.

“The designs allows two patients to be simultaneously loaded very quickly into the M-ATV tactical ambulance, thus significantly reducing the time the medics and patients are exposed to enemy fire and other threats in combat situations,” Juergens said.

Based on the M-ATV platform, the new tactical ambulance variant delivers the same proven mobility and MRAP-level protection for reaching military members in the field and transporting them safely back to medical facilities. Deliveries under this order are scheduled to begin in spring 2011. The contract award is for approximately $161 million.

The Oshkosh M-ATV was designed to provide superior off-road mobility for harsh mountainous terrain and unimproved road networks in places like Afghanistan. Oshkosh has received awards to date for nearly 8,400 M-ATVs, as well as spare parts kits, upgrade kits and aftermarket support. The tactical ambulance joins the M-ATV base and Special Forces Vehicle (SFV) family of vehicles used by the military.

Oshkosh is continuing to explore new potential mission solutions for the M-ATV. Oshkosh has designed the M-ATV utility vehicle to support resupply operations and the M-ATV Multi-Mission Vehicle (MMV) to support reconnaissance, missile-carrier and command-and-control operations in unforgiving landscapes.

Photo caption: The Oshkosh M-ATV tactical ambulance gives the U.S. military off-road medical-care capabilities for today’s battlefield. It is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment to treat patients while being evacuated out of harm’s way.

About Oshkosh Corporation Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the impact on revenues and margins of the projected decrease in M-ATV production rates; the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, especially during periods of global economic weakness and tight credit markets; the Company’s ability to produce vehicles under the FMTV contract at targeted margins; the duration of the ongoing global economic weakness, which could lead to additional impairment charges related to many of the Company’s intangible assets and/or a slower recovery in the Company’s cyclical businesses than equity market expectations; the expected level and timing of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) procurement of products and services and funding thereof; risks related to reductions in government expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures and an uncertain DoD tactical wheeled vehicle strategy; the potential for the U.S. government to competitively bid the Company’s Army and Marine Corps contracts; the consequences of financial leverage associated with the JLG acquisition, which could limit the Company’s ability to pursue various opportunities; the potential for commodity and other raw material costs to rise sharply, particularly in a future economic recovery; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks related to costs and charges as a result of facilities consolidation and alignment; risks related to production delays arising from supplier quality or production issues; risks associated with international operations and sales, including foreign currency fluctuations and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks related to work stoppages and other labor matters; the potential for disruptions or cost overruns in the Company’s global enterprise system implementation; the potential for increased costs relating to compliance with changes in laws and regulations; and risks related to disruptions in the Company’s distribution networks. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this press release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.

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