U.S. American Army has awarded Oshkosh to deliver 250 M-ATV vehicles ambulance version UK

The U.S. Army has awarded Oshkosh $255 million to build 250 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) ambulances for Afghanistan. The ambulances will be built at the company's plant in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012, according to the Dec. 3 contract announcement.

The U.S. Army also awarded Oshkosh a separate $28 million contract on Dec. 3 to procure 46 M-ATV variants designed specifically for U.S. Special Operations Command.

Oshkosh also has proposed cargo and reconnaissance variants of the M-ATV, and has shown prototypes of them at trade shows.

The development of the M-ATV began after the Pentagon decided that a lighter and more mobile MRAP vehicle was needed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. MRAPs originally were developed for U.S. troops in Iraq to counter roadside bombs.

After an open competition, the first M-ATV contract was awarded to Oshkosh on June 30, 2009.

The Wisconsin manufacturer is wrapping up the last of its deliveries of the 8,108 of the original M-ATVs ordered by the Pentagon. However, the government's indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract allows DoD's joint program office to buy up to 10,000 of the vehicles without going through a new source selection process.