US vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh Defense and Saudi Arabia’s Al Tadrea Manufacturing Company have established a joint venture to manufacture armed vehicles in the kingdom. The two companies formed Oshkosh Al Tadrea Manufacturing (OTM), creating “the largest partnership in the history of Saudi armored vehicles,” according to a message on Al Tadrea’s official Twitter account. Online signing ceremony was held between officials and senior executives of the two companies on 14 May.
Oshkosh Al Tadrea Manufacturing (OTM) will develop manufacturing expertise by becoming a prime contractor for tactical wheeled vehicles, provision of lifecycle sustainment services to the country’s military and security service customers, and will develop a broader and more efficient supply chain in the country. The joint venture will design and provide its first vehicles to be built based on the model of the Oshkosh Defense vehicle in the medium-sized 4×4 Tactical Vehicle (FMTV) category.
The two firms prepared for this joint venture by providing training opportunities and accreditation certificates to future OTM employees. The training sessions covered manufacturing, repairing and joint maintenance of M-ATVs, which are mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles made by Oshkosh and currently in service within the Royal Saudi Land Forces. OTM will find competition in the Saudi Arabia, with active national companies like the Saudi Military Industries Corp. producing armored vehicles that meet the international standards, like the Al Shibl 2 and Tawiq.
Oshkosh Corporation, formerly Oshkosh Truck, is an American industrial company that designs and builds specialty trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies, airport fire apparatus and access equipment. The corporation also owns Pierce Manufacturing, a fire apparatus manufacturer in Appleton, Wisconsin. Based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the company employs approximately 16,000 people around the world.[3] It is organized in four primary business groups: access equipment, defense, fire and emergency, and commercial.
