On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Israel’s Ministry of Defense said on social media that it had ordered an initial batch of several dozen upgraded U.S.-made JLTV A2 multipurpose armored vehicles for more than 80 million NIS / 26 million USD, together with a comprehensive sustainment support package. The vehicles will receive the local designation Pere (Hebrew for “wild”).
JLTV A2 / Photo: AM General
The order covers the upgraded JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) / L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle), which is manufactured by AM General (the earlier A1 variant was developed and is produced by Oshkosh Defense).
To date, Israel has ordered several hundred JLTV A1 vehicles. On December 1, 2023, it ordered 75 vehicles via the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) process, an undisclosed variant, for 29 million USD, with delivery scheduled through the end of September 2025. In addition, several dozen more were purchased commercially via DCS (Direct Commercial Sales) directly from the manufacturer, Oshkosh Defense. On March 28, 2024, Israel’s Ministry of Defense reported the start of accelerated deliveries, and the first vehicles in service were spotted on November 2 of the same year. It was disclosed that the armor kits, meeting the customer’s requirements, were supplied by the domestic company Plasan (via its Plasan North America subsidiary). On November 24, 2024, the purchase of several hundred more was approved.
Meanwhile, on January 30 this year, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale to Israel of up to 3,250 JLTV A2 vehicles for a maximum of 1.98 billion USD. The package includes vehicles in the M1279A1/A2/A3 Utility (troop/cargo transport) variant, the M1278A1/A2/A3 Heavy Guns Carrier for integration with heavy weapons, the M1281A1/A2/A3 Close Combat Weapons Carrier for integration with light weapons, and the M1280A1/A2/A3 General Purpose variant.
The JLTV A2 was unveiled in March 2024. It features improved corrosion resistance, reduced average fuel consumption, and 24-volt lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries that increase operational range. AM General is also to provide readiness for future vehicle-architecture upgrades through the Modular Base Integration Kit. The vehicles are powered by turbocharged MY 2024 L5P Duramax diesel engines paired with a six-speed Allison 2500SP transmission and incorporate solutions that reduce acoustic signature. For this reason, they are described as a second-generation platform. They entered U.S. Army testing on April 29, 2025 (although around the same time, plans were announced not to procure additional units).
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כחלק מהתמיכה המלאה בצה"ל לתרחישי המלחמה השונים, משלחת הרכש של משרד הביטחון בארה״ב חתמה היום על השלב הראשון בעסקה לרכש רכבי שטח מסוג JLTV ('פרא'). מדובר ברכש של עשרות רכבי ניוד קרביים ממוגנים לשימוש הכוחות המתמרנים.
להמשך קריאה: https://t.co/5qOVqWtIf9
— משרד הביטחון (@MoDIsrael) March 5, 2026