DTN News: Oshkosh Corporation Commemorates Handoff Of 1,000th M-ATV To U.S. Armed Forces

DTN News: Oshkosh Corporation Commemorates Handoff Of 1,000th M-ATV To U.S. Armed Forces *Source: DTN News / Oshkosh Corporation (NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - December 2, 2009: Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) marked the handoff of the 1,000th MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) to the U.S. Armed Forces on Nov. 30 at a ceremony with military leadership at the company’s facilities in Oshkosh, Wis.Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command, signs a ceremonial DD250 to commemorate the handoff of the 1,000th M-ATV to the U.S. Armed Forces. Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command, was the keynote speaker at the event. Having exceeded the government’s delivery schedule for five consecutive months, Oshkosh is ramping up production to 1,000 vehicles per month in December and continuing at that level through April 2010. “We understood the urgency of the M-ATV program to save American lives and leaned forward in advance of receiving the contract to build vehicles and prepare our operations for this high-quantity production,” said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer. “Our workforce has embraced this important mission and made countless personal sacrifices to produce these vehicles quickly to protect those that are sacrificing for our safety. They will continue to deliver these life-saving vehicles along with replacement parts and field support, as long as necessary.” Since being awarded the production contract on June 30, 2009, Oshkosh has received four additional awards from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) to supply a total of 6,219 M-ATVs. Oshkosh also has received orders for spare kits and to send its factory-trained field service representatives (FSR) to Afghanistan to provide training and maintenance support for the vehicles. The aggregate amount of the five awards is valued at $3.2 billion. The M-ATV is the U.S. military’s newest MRAP model, combining the protection levels of legacy MRAPs with improved mobility and durability to handle Afghanistan’s mountainous cross-country terrain and unimproved roads. The vehicle uses the Oshkosh-patented TAK-4® independent suspension system, which has undergone more than 500,000 miles of government testing, to achieve a 70-percent off-road profile capability and 16 inches of independent wheel travel. The system also is used on the Marine Corps’ Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) and Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR), as well as the Army’s Palletized Load System (PLS A1). Existing Oshkosh Defense manufacturing facilities have available production capacity for all current and pending military vehicle programs, including the M-ATV and the U.S. Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), as well as any surges in production. Oshkosh Defense teamed with Plasan North America to provide an advanced armor solution for the M-ATV. Plasan also developed the armor system used on more than 5,000 legacy MRAPs and thousands of Oshkosh MTVR Armored Cabs already in theater. Photo Caption: Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command, is joined by Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense, left, and Gordon Kranz, executive director of engineering and analysis for the Defense Contract Management Agency, as he signs a ceremonial DD250 to commemorate the handoff of the 1,000th M-ATV to the U.S. Armed Forces at a ceremony on Nov. 30 at the company's facilities in Oshkosh, Wis. About Oshkosh Defense Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/. 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 Corp. 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, log on to http://www.oshkoshcorporation.com/.