Situational awareness for US Army vehicles

OSHKOSH, US: Oshkosh Corporation’s Defense Segment has received a $33 million award from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) to supply a rear mounted camera system on more than 2,200 MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) to provide improved situational awareness for vehicle occupants.

“We are pleased to work with our customer to provide this vehicle upgrade for the benefit of the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan,” said Ken Juergens, M-ATV program director for OshkoshDefense in a press release. “The advanced M-ATV provides exceptional mobility and protection capabilities, and this technology will help the vehicle’s crew better survey their surroundings as they navigate Afghanistan’s harsh environments.”

The camera system, which integrates with existing vehicle video displays, provides a 40-degree vertical and 54-degree horizontal field of view. The system uses an infrared camera core in an LED-equipped tailgate assembly and provides visibility through dust, obscurants and incremental weather in day and night operations.

To date, Oshkosh has received awards totaling $2.3 billion for 4,296 M-ATVs. The vehicle uses the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system to provide superior off-road mobility, which includes a 70 per cent off-road profile capability and 16 inches of independent wheel travel. The TAK-4 system has undergone more than 400,000 miles of government testing and is used on more than 10,000 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR), as well as the

Marine Corps’ Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) and the Army’s Palletized Load System (PLS A1).

Oshkosh Defense teamed with Plasan North America to provide an advanced armor solution for the M-ATV. Plasan also developed the armor system used on more than 5,000 legacy MRAPs and thousands of Oshkosh MTVR Armored Cabs already in theater.