OSHKOSH, WIS. (April 25, 2001) – Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB], a leading manufacturer of trucks and truck bodies, announced today that the U.S. Army awarded the company a Phase I contract to retrofit eight Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) with technological enhancements that the company proposed.
Under this contract, which is the first phase of a two-part acquisition competition for up to 14,000 trucks and trailers, the eight vehicles will be upgraded and ready to begin testing in February 2002. Testing is scheduled to be complete in October 2002. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command awarded the contract.
“We are absolutely excited – and proud – to be offered yet another opportunity to prove the value and performance of our trucks and our people. One of our company’s greatest areas of expertise is the engineering and manufacture of defense vehicles. We welcome this evaluation period and its demanding verification of our quality, reliability, technology, and most importantly, value,” said Robert G. Bohn, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Oshkosh Truck Corporation.
The eight trucks to be upgraded by Oshkosh include four 2.5-ton cargo models and four 5-ton cargo models, one of which features material handling equipment. Two trucks will undergo performance tests, while the other six units will be subjected to a 20,000-mile durability test including on- and off-road travel. Tests will be performed at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland, one of the Department of Defense’s premier testing facilities.
Competition for the Phase II award will be limited to only those companies that successfully complete Phase I evaluation. Phase I testing, along with the Phase II proposal, will determine the single supplier of the next generation of FMTVs for the U.S. Army.
Oshkosh Truck Corporation [NASDAQ: OTRKB] is a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies for the defense, fire and emergency, concrete placement and refuse hauling markets. Oshkosh Truck is a Fortune 1000 company with products marketed under the Oshkosh, Pierce, McNeilus and Medtec brand names. The company is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wis., and had annual sales of $1.324 billion in fiscal 2000.
# # #
