US Army Taps Defense Firms to Design New Arctic Vehicle
The development is part of a larger strategy to strengthen the American armed forces presence in the Arctic region.
As part of a larger strategy to strengthen the American armed forces’ presence in the Arctic region, the US Army has chosen two companies to build new tactical vehicles designed to operate in extreme cold.
Tactical vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh Defense announced that it, along with Singaporean partner ST Engineering, has been chosen as a participant in the Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) competition.
The other team participating in the prototype phase of the contest will comprise two BAE System units – the Land and Armaments and BAE Hagglunds.
“We are confident that the Oshkosh CATV will enable soldiers to efficiently move personnel and supplies in the most extreme conditions, and we look forward to getting them into the hands of the end-user for testing and evaluation,” Oshkosh stated in a press release.
“The new vehicle design will be built with the combined expertise of Oshkosh Defense and draws on the rich heritage of the Bronco family of vehicles, a proven, robust, and versatile articulated platform which has been in operation since 2001,” ST Engineering President Lee Shiang Long added.
The prototypes built by the competing firms will undergo extreme cold weather testing in Alaska from August until December.
After evaluation, the US Army will select a winning developer, which will then proceed with production of the tactical vehicles.
The two BAE System units have yet to issue a statement regarding their selection in the CATV competition.
The development of an improved vehicle for Arctic military deployment is part of an overall strategy by the US Army to increasingly prepare soldiers for missions in the Arctic region.
