The US Army FMTV Military Truck Family History

The US Army had been operating the M939 family of trucks for some time and was proving costly to keep running. Stewart & Stevenson in Houston USA, brought the 12M18 concept from the Austrian Firm Steyr and developed it in to the FMTV.

They were then awarded a 5 year contract, valued at $1.2 billion, for the production of 10843 FMTV vehicles as a replacement to the ageing M939, however the US Government owns the property rights (blueprints) of the vehicles design, rather than a manufacturer. This means the Government can hire any manufacturer it wants to build this family, as it uses commercial parts, ie a Caterpillar engine.

The US Army FMTV Military Truck Family “A1” Upgrade

These vehicles were known in later years as the “A0’s” and were riddled with a number of problems that resulted in a recall during manufacturing years that were rectified by subcontractors. A further 4 year contract for an upgraded family known as the “A1’s” was awarded to Stewart & Stevenson in 1998.

The A1 had a new engine, upgraded (automatic) transmission, electronic data bus, an anti-lock brake system and interactive electronic technical manuals, as well as trailers. The A1 is the vehicle that still is manufactured.

The US Army FMTV Military Truck Family – BAE Take Over Production

Stewart & Stevenson were awarded further contracts over the years and its Tactical Vehicle Systems division of the company was bought in 2006 for $755 million in cash by Armor Holdings Inc, who in turn were bought by BAE Systems in 2007, so technically BAE became the manufacturer and future bidder.

Their manufacturing contract ended in 2010 when final deliverers are believed to have been a total of 50000 vehicles (A0/A1).

The FMTV Family When Built By BAE

Model	Designation	Description	BAE Brochure (Contains pics and stat’s)
	M1078A1	2.5 Ton Standard Cargo	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1079A1	2.5 Ton Van	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1080A1	2.5 Ton Chassis	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1082	2.5 Ton Trailer	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	FMTV A1	3.0 Ton Utility Variant	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1083A1	5 Ton Standard Cargo	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1084A1	5 Ton Standard Cargo with MHE	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1085A1	5 Ton Long Cargo	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1086A1	5 Ton Long Cargo with MH	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1087A1	5 Ton Expansible Van	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1088A1	5 Ton Tractor	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1089A1	5 Ton Wrecker	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1090A1	5 Ton Dump	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1092A1	5 Ton Chassis	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1095	5 Ton Trailer	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1096A1	5 Ton Long Chassis	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	LHS	8 Ton Load Handling System	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	M1157A1	10 Ton Dump	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure
	Long Cargo	10 Ton Long Cargo	N/A
	8×8 LHS	18 Ton Load Handling System	Click to launch BAE PDF Brochure

The Low Signature Armored CAB (LSAC) adds ballistic and mine blast protection for the crew in a purpose-built cab that can be interchanged with a standard FMTV cab in eight hours. The LSAC cab can provide the crew protection from assault rifle rounds, land mines, and artillery fragments and still retain C-130 transportability on the some models, and can be installed on any FMTV vehicle in the fleet. Standard options include air conditioning, Chemical Air Filtration Unit (CAFU) provision, and a standard HMMWV weapons station. Over 2,000 LSAC cabs have been put in service by the U.S. Army in Southwest Asia.

The US Army FMTV Military Truck Family – Oshkosh Take Over Production

In 2009 Oshkosh Defence were awarded a new contract as the manufacturer of the family, to which BAE protested. In February 2010 Oshkosh Defence announced –

“The Department of the Army announced today that it has re-evaluated the contract award decision for its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) originally made on Aug. 26, 2009. This change was based on Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recommendations. Accordingly, Oshkosh Corp. has been awarded a competitive, five-year requirements contract for production of up to 12,415 trucks, 10,926 trailers, and associated support and engineering services. The total estimated contract value at award was $3.023 billion…. From Dec. 21, 2009, to Jan. 22, 2010, the Army re-evaluated the proposals in accordance with the GAO’s recommendation. Subsequently, there was an Office of the Secretary of Defense peer review affirming the Army’s re-evaluation process.”

Oshkosh began producing FMTVs for the U.S. Army in 2010. Since then, Oshkosh has delivered more than 22,000 trucks and 11,000 trailers and most recent order for FMTV vehicles was in December 2014 for 256 vehicles.

The US Army FMTV Military Truck Family – Oshkosh Family

Oshkosh Defense Website only lists the following variants of the FMTV:

FMTV 5-Ton Tractor

Full-time all-wheel drive
High horsepower-to-weight ratio
Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
3-person cab; ergonomically adjustable driver seat and steering wheel

FMTV Load Handling System (LHS)

Easy load/unload to reduce military personnel fatigue
Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
C-130 air transportable
3 person; ergonomically adjustable driver seat and steering wheel

FMTV Cargo 4×4 and 6×6

Easily maneuverable
C-130 air transportable
Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
3-person cab; ergonomically adjustable driver seat and steering wheel

FMTV 10-Ton Dump

Capacity to carry more material in less loads, increasing efficiencies and decreasing personnel fatigue
Easily maneuverable
Electronic Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
3-person, ergonomically adjustable driver seat and steering wheel for greater crew comfort

FMTV 5-Ton Wrecker

Includes a crane and winch retrieval system
Full hydraulic operation – retrieval system interfaces with existing wrecker remote
Allows for flat tow operation without preparation – pintle mounted directly to rear crossmember
Includes multi-use adapter to minimize set-up and connection operation time

Other FMTV based vehicles …

The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) mounts a highly capable weapons system to the FMTV platform that is capable of C-130 delivery, roll-off and firing within five minutes and then reloading onto the aircraft for rapid deployment. Click here to view vehicle

The Caiman 6×6 mine protected patrol vehicle is a V-hull design based on the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and Low Signature Armored Cab (LSAC), initially developed by Stewart & Stevenson. 2600 vehicles are on order for the US Army. Click here to view vehicle