On Thursday, August 22, 2024, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced on social media that the sixth batch of Oshkosh JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle)/L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle) combat multipurpose vehicles, consisting of over 150 units, had arrived in the country. These vehicles join the 235 previously received, out of a total of 500 ordered from the United States. As a result, Lithuania will become the largest export user of these vehicles in the world.
Photos: Lithuanian Ministry of Defense
This is also the second batch from the second agreement (or rather an annex to the first) for these vehicles, signed on October 18, 2020, for an additional 300 units. The first delivery under this agreement took place on March 14 of this year.
It was announced that units from this batch will be used for conversion into Mobile Short Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) systems, which were ordered on July 9 of this year from the Swedish company Saab Defence and Security.
Under the base agreement from November 21, 2019, valued at approximately 145 million EUR (approximately 162 million USD), 200 JLTVs were ordered with a delivery deadline by the end of 2023 (the deliveries were expedited—originally scheduled for the end of 2024). The first batch of 50 vehicles arrived in Lithuania on August 16, 2021, the next batch of the same number on November 23, 2022, another in May 2023, and the last one on December 30, 2023.
The Lithuanian vehicles are in the four-door Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) variant, specifically the M1278A1 Heavy Guns Carrier version. They are equipped with M153 remote weapon stations (RWS) fitted with Mk. 93 mounts for 12.7 mm Browning M2 QCB (Quick Change Barrel) machine guns and FLIR Systems M230 TAC electro-optical sensors.
They have been equipped with ballistic and mine protection, armored windows, Boomerang III acoustic warning systems, GPS navigation kits, Duramax Turbo diesel engines (previously designated as Banks 866T V8) paired with Allison six-speed transmissions, and independent suspension systems. Additional equipment includes run-flat tire kits (along with spares), winches, and towing kits.
The JLTVs, as light patrol vehicles, are currently replacing the armored versions of AM General HMMWV and Toyota Land Cruiser 200 off-road vehicles in use.
So far, in addition to the U.S. armed forces, which are the main user (with plans to purchase a total of approximately 65,000 vehicles), several other countries have decided to purchase JLTVs, whose production recently surpassed 20,000 units. These countries include Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, and Brazil. Recently, Mongolia and Israel have also joined this list. Potential future users might include the United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, and Poland (which has expressed interest in purchasing 26 armored vehicles in the M1279A1 transport variant). At the end of March this year, AM General, which has become a co-producer of the vehicles, presented an upgraded version, the JLTV A2.
🇱🇹 Lithuania has just received a new batch of JLTV armored vehicles! As we continue the second phase of procurement, over 150 new JLTV’s were delivered to @LTU_Army this week. These JLTV vehicles will also serve as a platform for air defence, being equipped with MSHORAD systems. pic.twitter.com/ncPjqaLYQY
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) August 22, 2024