The United States government has authorized the potential sale of more than three thousand JLTV-family tactical vehicles to equip the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The transaction, notified by the Department of State to Congress for approval, falls under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and is valued at US$1.98 billion.
Since late 2023, the Israel Defense Forces have been discreetly incorporating a new platform of tactical armored vehicles for personnel transport and other roles. As reported by various sources, the platform in question is the Oshkosh Defense Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
Although no further details were provided, in November 2023 several media outlets reported that the U.S. government had begun transferring JLTV vehicles along with other equipment. At the time, it was mentioned that up to 75 units had been delivered. Subsequently, Oshkosh Defense itself confirmed the start of production of new vehicles specifically intended for the Israel Defense Forces, with deliveries reportedly beginning during the first quarter of 2024.
With this background, and based on the positive experience obtained by the IDF, the Israeli government requested the purchase of a significant batch of 4×4 vehicles from the JLTV family from the United States.
According to information released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on January 30, the request would include the supply of 3,250 JLTV-family vehicles in multiple variants. The package, with AM General LLC as the principal contractor and valued at the aforementioned US$1.98 billion, comprises the following versions:
- JLTV M1279 in A1, A2, and A3 variants for personnel and cargo transport
- JLTV Heavy Guns Carrier M1278 in A1, A2, and A3 variants used as a heavy weapons carrier
- JLTV Close Combat Weapons Carrier M1281 in A1, A2, and A3 variants used as a close-combat weapons carrier
- JLTV General Purpose M1280 A1, A2, and A3 multipurpose variant
The Department of State stated: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”
Adding: “The proposed sale will enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by strengthening the mobility of its ground forces during operations. These JLTVs will be used to safely transport personnel and logistics, extending lines of communication. Israel will have no difficulty integrating this equipment and systems into its Armed Forces.”
*Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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