Marine Corps JVLT Officially Rolled out at Camp Lejeune

July 29, 2019

William Kucinski

The United State Marine Corps first infantry battalion (the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, and 2nd Marine Division) is the first to receive the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV – a light tactical vehicle developed as the Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) by Oshkosh Corporation . The vehicle is designed as a part-replacement of AM General LLC. ’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle “Humvee.”

The official rollout at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, Florida, was made possible by the Marine Corps Program Executive Officer (PEO) Land Systems and was attended by Navy and Marine Corps leadership.

“I am very proud of the Joint Marine Corps and Army team whose mission-first approach and close interaction with the end user has delivered our Marine operators the JLTV,” says James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. “The fielding of these JLTVs provides our Marines the light tactical vehicle capability needed to compete and win on the modern battlefield.”

The JLTV currently has four different variants – general purpose, utility, heavy guns carrier, and close combat weapons carrier – all of which have multiple mission package configurations and provide protected, sustained, and networked mobility that balances payload, performance and protection across the full range of military operations.

Image courtesy: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

All JLTVs are powered by a 6.6-liter 866T diesel engine designed by Gale Banks Engineering based on General Motor’s Duramax architecture. That powerplant is paired to an Allison 2500SP six-speed automatic transmission and an Oshkosh TAK-4i independent suspension.

“I think the battalion, like most battalions, are eager to get these out into the field,” says Colone Farrell Sullivan, chief of staff, 2nd Marine Division Sullivan. “We’re excited about the additional capability it brings, and also for its ability to get Marines to where they need to be.”

The Marine Corps is planning to field 15,390 JLTVs, replacing the entire Humvee legacy fleet in a one-for-one swap.

Learn more about the JLTV

PEO Land Systems began delivery of the JLTV in February 2019 to the Corps’ schools of infantry and other supporting units. The Light Tactical Vehicle program office at PEO Land Systems will begin fielding the JLTV to First and Third Marine Division units by the end of September 2019.

This story was originally covered by Ashley Calingo through Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

William Kucinski is content editor at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group in Warrendale, Pa. Previously, he worked as a writer at the NASA Safety Center in Cleveland, Ohio and was responsible for writing the agency’s System Failure Case Studies. His interests include literally anything that has to do with space, past and present military aircraft, and propulsion technology.

Contact him regarding any article or collaboration ideas by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..