The US Army recently placed an order worth $75 million with the Oshkosh Defense LLC for tactical trucks and trailers. A part of such orders is the replacement vehicle for the Hummer. While we’ve associated the iconic Hummer with the US Army for decades now, it is now past retirement and several units were auctioned to the public some time back as well.
The beastly replacement to the Humvee, Oshkosk Defense JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) definitely looks far more rugged than the Humvee ever did and is larger too.
It gets thick armour and tiny windows. The original Hummer apparently did not have ample armour to withstand today’s military firepower. Enhancing its armour would mean reducing its payload and off-road capacity.
The Oshkosh JLTV has been designed to tackle modern combat. It has 20 inches of suspension travel and the hull mitigates the blast of mines. It is powered by a tuned version of General Motors’ Duramax 6.6-litre turbodiesel V8.
The latest version of this engine produces 445 horsepower in the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, but the JLTV drops this to around 340 hp for maximising reliability. A fully loaded Oshkosh JLTV weighs around 9,979 kilograms. The basic configuration of the JLTV costs around $250,000 (approximately Rs 1.78 crore).
Oshkosh JLTV undoubtedly looks hardcore and it will very likely serve as a reliable tactical vehicle on the battlefield. The Hummer became an icon over the years as a sight that would scare the enemy and as a poster boy for automobile coolness. The Oshkosh may serve the same purpose for the kids who see it develop now, but the Hummer will remain an icon to us lot.
