The Brazilian Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais) Fleet Marine Force induct the first Oshkosh Defense M1278A1 Heavy Guns Carrier (HGC) Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil) confirmed its intention to deploy these platforms for United Nations Peacekeeping, law enforcement and amphibious missions. On 5 October 2020, the Brazilian Marine Corps signed a contract for a batch of 12 JLTVs, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026. In September 2021, it was reported that the Brazilian Marine Corps (CFN) was looking to acquire an additional 48 JLTVs.
The Brazilian Marine Corps received four JLTVs on 2 March 2023. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Marine Infantry Battalions would each receive 12 of the vehicles, while the remaining 12 would go to the Special Operations Battalion. The vehicles mount an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) kit armour suite and a B-kit add-on armour system. An Objective Gunner Protection Kit 1.0 is available for M2A1 and MAG58/M240 machine guns and the MK19 MOD3 grenade launcher. The Brazilian JLTV is equipped with a SuperWinch 12605482 electric winch; one driver’s smart display unit and two commander’s smart display units made by General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada.
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is a United States military (specifically U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps) and United States Special Operations Command program to partially replace the Humvee fleet with a family of more survivable vehicles having a greater payload. Early studies for the JLTV program were approved in 2006. Oshkosh’s L-ATV was selected as the winner of the JLTV program in August 2015 and awarded an initial production contract for up to 16,901 JLTVs. The JLTV family and its nomenclature evolved throughout the development process and to date the U.S. Army has allocated M designations to four individual JLTV configurations.
The JLTV family now consists of three base vehicle platforms, Utility (JLTV-UTL), Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC) and General Purpose (JLTV-GP). Outside of the United States, a number of other countries have shown an interest in or have ordered the JLTV. These include Belgium, Brazil, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. All have ordered via FMS with the exception of Belgium which is a direct sale. Portugal and the United Kingdom have expressed a documented interest in acquiring the JLTV. Australia joined the TD phase of JLTV but ultimately opted to procure the locally produced Thales Hawkei.
