The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has completed the first stage of JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) acquisition: the last shipment of vehicles arrived in Lithuania late Friday night. The batch of 50 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles was delivered to Lithuania as the finishing stroke of the contract on acquisition of 200 pieces of JLTV signed by the Ministry of National Defence and the U.S. Government in 2019. The first 50 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles joined the Lithuanian Armed Forces fleet in the summer of 2021, training of operators and maintenance personnel began at the same time. Another 50 vehicles arrived in 2022, while the final two batches 50 per one were delivered over 2023.
“Procurement of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles from the United States is one of the most vital steps in Lithuanian Armed Forces upgrade. We are glad the supplier took its commitment seriously: despite the agreement to deliver the last JLTV batch of the first contract in 2024, the equipment was made and delivered ahead of schedule as requested by the Ministry of National Defence,” says Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas.
Next year, the second stage or implementation of the 2022 contract with the U.S. Oshkosh Defense company begins which will add another 300 JLTVs to the Lithuanian Armed Forces strength. When it is completed, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will operate the total of 500 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. The JLTV is the most advanced light tactical vehicles in the world. The cutting edge technologies ensure high personnel protection, higher intelligence, artillery and offensive air support operations efficiency. The procurement strengthens not only the Lithuanian Armed Forces but also the interoperability between the Lithuanian and the U.S. forces.
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is a U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and 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. The JLTV program incorporates lessons learned from the earlier Future Tactical Truck Systems program and other associated efforts. Variants are capable of performing armament carrier, utility, command and control (shelter), ambulance, reconnaissance and a variety of other tactical and logistic support roles. JLTV follows the U.S. Army’s Long Term Armor Strategy with kits for two levels of armor protection.
