Slovak MoD confirms the acquisition of 160 Oshkosh 4×4 JLTVs, ~ Slovak Armed Forces will thus get the required capability after ten years.
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Press Release, Bratislava, 20 July 2023: The Slovak Defence Ministry has officially accepted the US offer of one hundred sixty (160) Oshkosh 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) worth nearly $190m in Foreign Military Financing (FMF). Following the SVK Government’s approval, the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the JLTVs was signed today by Defence Minister Martin Sklenár, in the presence of US Ambassador Gautam Rana and representatives of Oshkosh Defense as JLTV manufacturer.
As the Defence Minister reminded us, the Oshkosh JLTV is in service with the US military and several European forces, while some other European countries are now in the process of procuring it as well. “The JLTV has been proven in harsh environments by several armies. Importantly, our Armed Forces will get this capability de facto for free – the acquisition of the vehicles will be funded through the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme. I can’t think of a better way of obtaining high quality and much required vehicles than this – without payment,” Minister Sklenár said.
The Slovak Armed Forces have repeatedly requested the procurement of multi-purpose combat tactical vehicles in the past ten years. The JLTV platform meets all the key requirements set forth for this type of vehicles by the Slovak military, namely on high mobility, ballistic and mine protection capabilities, firepower, modern and interoperable communication systems and, last but not least, the possibility of deliveries in a relatively short time.
As Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko noted, the SVK Army will field the JLTVs to its Special Operations Forces, Reconnaissance Troops, and Motorised Battalion. On the plus side, the vehicle will be supported throughout its life cycle by widely available and practice-proven vehicle logistics support, thanks to which it is enough to integrate the already existing logistics support system into the Slovak Armed Forces.
The Slovak Armed Forces will receive the JLTV Heavy Guns Carrier (HGC) variant in crew-served and remotely operated weapon configurations – one equipped with the Manned Top Gunner Turret and the other with the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS), along with a logistics support package in the form of spare parts, technical tools, manuals, training and vehicle servicing. Deliveries of the Oshkosh JLTVs to the Slovak military are due to take place throughout 2025.
“This acquisition, which is an opportunity to significantly drive forward the modernisation of the Armed Forces, is tangible proof of our strong partnership with the United States, both bilaterally and through the Alliance, and a recognition of our assistance to Ukraine,” Minister Sklenár said.
In addition to their primary use as weapons platforms, the JLTVs will be deployed for patrolling and monitoring specific areas and guarding military facilities, both in Slovakia and on operations abroad. As part of domestic crisis management, they can be employed in response to emergencies such as natural disasters, floods, wildfires, landslides or during search and rescue operations whilst closely cooperating with other SVK rescue services. Due to their high mobility and smaller dimensions, the vehicles can also be used for transporting materiel across difficult terrain and evacuating people in emergency situations.
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