OSHKOSH, WIS. (August 8, 2001) — Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB], a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies, recently fielded the first new Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement to the Marine Corps. In ceremonies held recently at Blount Island Command, near Jacksonville, Flor., the new MTVR began supporting the Marine Corps’ war fighting capability as the first of 75 trucks drove aboard the M.V. 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo Maritime Prepositioning Ship.
“I feel . . . honored to be a part of . . . history here – Marine Corps history – to field a new piece of equipment. I was extremely impressed with what it [the MTVR] could carry – 7.1 tons off-road, 15 tons on-road, . . . and the fact that it can carry a lot more weight than the 5-ton is really going to increase our flexibility . . .” said Colonel Allen Coulter, U.S. Marine Corp, Commanding Officer, Blount Island Command.
“These trucks are the culmination of literally thousands of hours of hard work, intense dedication and unwavering focus on the part of the U.S. Marine Corps and Oshkosh Truck. This time and energy was well spent engineering, manufacturing, testing — and for the first time today — fielding the most advanced fleet of tactical vehicles in the world.
“The MTVR is the benchmark for modern tactical truck performance. Extreme mobility, rugged design and amazing off-road capability make it the perfect choice for Marine Corps operations,” said Steve Zink, Oshkosh’s MTVR program manager, during the ceremonies.
Over 1,100 of a potential 8,168 MTVRs will be deployed aboard 14 Maritime Prepositioning Ships for deployment at strategic locations worldwide. These vehicles are ready for immediate use during operations conducted by the forward-deployed Marine Expeditionary Forces.
The highly mobile MTVR is the linchpin of the Marine Corps’ massive fleet modernization plan. Whether carrying personnel and supplies for battle, or food and emergency supplies in peacekeeping missions, the MTVR will fill the transportation mobility gap created by older medium-payload vehicles. The MTVR can run with any ground-based military vehicle in the field, even keeping pace with M1 tanks.
Oshkosh Truck has been manufacturing the MTVR since September 1999. The company received approval for full-rate production, known in military circles as Milestone III, in April 2001. All MTVRs are manufactured on Oshkosh’s flexible production line at their state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Oshkosh, Wis.
Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB] is a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies for the fire and emergency, defense, concrete placement and refuse hauling markets. Products are marketed under the Oshkosh, Pierce, McNeilus, Geesink and Norba brand names. The company is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wis., and had annual sales of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2000.
Photos of the event are available by contacting Kirsten Skyba at 920.233.9261 or at [email protected].
