Article Posted on : - Jul 22, 2010

RHO JLTV Technology Development Vehicle. A file photo

LIVONIA (BNS): US government has received two Right-Hand Operation (RHO) Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) – payload category B and C vehicles – a companion trailer and supporting equipment on schedule from General Tactical Vehicles (GTV) team of General Dynamics Land Systems and AM General.

The contract was given by US government for Technology Development (TD) phase testing in support of the US and Australia’s Land Force Capability Modernisation Project Arrangement (PA).

The PA enables tactical vehicle interoperability and integration between the two countries.

The test and evaluation of the RHO JLTVs reliability and durability will be carried out for five months by the General Dynamics Land Systems-Australia at the Monegeetta Proving Ground in Monegeetta, Victoria, Australia.

“Our RHO JLTVs provide increased protection, payload and performance for the Australian Defence Force, as well as over 90 percent commonality with the GTV JLTV vehicles delivered to the US Army and Marine Corps in April,” Don Howe, GTV senior program director , said in a company news release.

The new GTV’s vehicle design will provide an armored crew capsule with an optimised V-shaped hull for protection against mines and IEDs, a state-of-the-art C4 architecture that accommodates future force technology capabilities, high-performance and off-road mobility, deployability by land, sea and air.

Under the JLTV TD phase, the tests are intended to validate the integration of mature technologies as a complete vehicle system, rebalancing payload, protection and performance while maintaining transportability and expeditionary capabilities.

The Army, Marine Corps and the Australian Defence Force have to get an accurate assessment of the technical and performance capabilities and risks associated with the technology, before entering it to the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase and establishing a realistic set of requirements for the JLTV program.