When the Humvee retires in 2015, it will have served nearly 30 years in the U.S. military. And just three years away from retirement, Department of Defense officials still don’t know which vehicle will replace it.
So far, the choices are down to six vehicles and that list will be narrowed down to three later this month, each receiving $65 million for the next phase of preproduction engineering and development for the next Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Each vehicle must be able to be easily transported, include a light-weight hull, have a semi-active suspension and provide versions for infantry, general use and utility. 95 percent of all parts must be the same across each iteration.
Out of these six, one will ultimately replace the Humvee.
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BRV-O (Blast Resistant Vehicle Off Road)
Builder: AM General LLC
Notable: Introduced this May in Detroit, the BRV-O features a 3.2-liter V-6 that produces 300 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Completely configurable to whatever the military needs, the BRV-O also includes a self-leveling suspension, a variety of armaments and armor.
JLTV Eagle
Builder: AM General and General Dynamics Land Systems
Notables: Square body and big wheels make a vehicle ready for nearly every terrain. Few details have been released about the Eagle, though its builder recently announced it had a right-hand driver JLTV that will under go testing in Australia.
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L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All Terrain Vehicle)
Builder: Oshkosh Defense
Notables: The L_ATV offers a diesel-electric hybrid version, extreme off road capabilities including 20-inches of wheel travel and a scalable protection system depending on the environment.
Lockheed JLTV
Builder: Lockheed Martin Corp.
Notables: The family of JLTV built by Lockheed share a multitude of parts and pieces including trailers. Lockheed has already successfully transported these vehicles via helicopter and claims to have more than 160,000 miles of testing on them.
Saratoga
Builder: Navistar Defense
Notables: The Saratoga may resemble the current Humvee more than any other vehicle, but that’s where the similarities end. It includes a 325-horsepower V-8, can sit a four-man crew and a gunner and carry 7,200 pounds. It’s compatible with multiple weapons systems and can ford up to 30-inches of water.
Valanx
Builder: BAE Systems Inc., with Northrop Grumman Corp. and Meritor Defense
Notables: The Valanx will be powered by Ford Motor Co.’s 6.7-liter Powerstroke V-8 diesel engine. Its configurable constructions means it can easily be shifted from one area to another. It’s fully armored and can carry a number of weapon systems.