OSHKOSH, Wis. (June 27, 2018) – Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, announced today that the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) awarded Oshkosh a $49 million contract to integrate existing Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicles with scalable autonomous technology as part of the U.S. Army’s Expedient Leader Follower (ExLF) program.
The ExLF program addresses the needs of the Leader Follower Directed Requirement and Program of Record by removing soldiers from the vehicle while operating in highly-contested areas. Oshkosh autonomous technology was designed with the flexibility to be operated in a variety of modes, including leader-follower, fully autonomous, and teleoperation, to support manned or unmanned operations.
“The PLS has been an integral part of the U.S. Army’s resupply and distribution fleet for over 25 years,” said Pat Williams, vice president and general manager of Army and Marine Corps programs for Oshkosh Defense. “By equipping these vehicles with autonomous capabilities, we can significantly reduce our soldiers’ exposure to enemy threats by taking them out of the vehicle altogether.”
Under the contract, Oshkosh will integrate an initial 70 autonomy kits for Program Development and Operational Technical Demonstrations (OTD). The contract holds an option to procure up to 150 autonomy kits.
“We are committed to bringing this life-saving technology to the battlefield,” Williams continued. “Through nearly 15 years of Oshkosh research and development, including independent and government testing, we are very proud to see this technology reach the U.S. Army fleets.”
About Oshkosh Autonomous Technology
The autonomous technology designed by Oshkosh Defense comes with great flexibility.
- Designed for both unmanned and manned operations in support of multiple missions
- Can be easily integrated into both new vehicles as well as legacy vehicles
- Can be operated in a variety of modes – from fully autonomous, leader-follower, to teleoperation
- Designed to support rapid deployment, troops can be trained to operate these autonomous vehicles in only a few days
About the PLS
The PLS is the backbone of the U.S. Army’s resupply and distribution system, providing great efficiency and performance for loading, unloading and delivering materials. It carries a wide range of cargo and is specially designed to load and unload a variety of flatrack or IOS compatible containers all on its own.
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK]. To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at oshkoshdefense.com.
About Oshkosh Corporation
Founded in 1917, Oshkosh Corporation is more than 100 years strong and continues to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh brings together a unique set of integrated capabilities and diverse end markets that, when combined with the Company’s MOVE strategy and positive long-term outlook, illustrate why Oshkosh is a different integrated global industrial. The Company is a leader in designing, manufacturing and servicing a broad range of access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency, military and specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®.
Today, Oshkosh Corporation is a Fortune 500 Company with manufacturing operations on four continents. Its products are recognized around the world for quality, durability and innovation and can be found in more than 150 countries around the globe. As a different integrated global industrial, Oshkosh is committed to making a difference for team members, customers, shareholders, communities and the environment. For more information, please visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology 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, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
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