OSHKOSH, Wis. — Feb. 14, 2008 — Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), along with senior leaders of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), will celebrate the production of the 20,000th Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) today with a ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Oshkosh, Wis.
The HEMTT’s 13-ton payload and off-road capabilities make it the backbone for the U.S. Army’s logistics fleet. Since its introduction in 1985, the HEMTT has helped keep the Army on the move during major conflicts such as Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. It fulfills critical resupply missions in its different configurations, including fuel servicing, load handling system (LHS) and cargo variants.
“The HEMTT has been an integral part of our tactical wheeled vehicle fleet for more than 20 years,” said Col. Scott Kidd, program executive officer, U.S. Army TACOM. “To help us keep up with the increasing demands on the vehicles, Oshkosh Defense has continued to provide technology and performance upgrades so the HEMTT will continue to be the workhorse we have come to rely on so heavily for our tactical logistics needs.”
The original HEMTT fleet has undergone multiple improvements during its more than 20-year history. Engine and suspension upgrades, the addition of armor, and electronically controlled transmissions all have improved the original HEMTT platform.
The first HEMTT contract plan called for about 2,000 vehicles, in six different variants. The vehicle has proven so successful that Oshkosh Defense has now produced more than 20,000 vehicles in 11 different configurations.
“The success of the HEMTT platform is a testament to the capability of the original platform, and the continued cooperation between the military-industry team that we have established with TACOM,” said John Stoddart, executive vice president and president, Defense, Oshkosh Corporation. “Our partners at TACOM monitor the needs of the soldier in the field and task us to deliver to those requirements for continued mission success.”
Oshkosh Defense and TACOM have brought additional value to the HEMTT program through the use of remanufacturing. Within the Recapitalization Program, early model HEMTT vehicles are returned to Oshkosh where they are completely rebuilt and upgraded to the latest configuration. Some vehicles even arrive as one variant and are sent back as a different one, if Army requirements demand it.
The remanufactured HEMTTs all receive a new-vehicle warranty and are considered to have zero miles and zero hours. The delivery of these like-new vehicles is accomplished at no more than 75 percent the cost of a new vehicle, saving both the Army and the taxpayer significant amounts of money.
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®, BAI®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles®, Frontline®, SMIT®, Geesink®, Norba®, Kiggen®, 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 www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that the company believes are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital spending and debt levels, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “expects,” “intends,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” or “believes” and similar expressions 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 that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets especially during periods like February 2008 when news reports speculate on the possibility of a U.S. recession; risks related to reductions in government expenditures, the uncertainty of government contracts and the company’s ability to turnaround its Geesink Norba Group business. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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