Navistar International Corporation,
WARRENVILLE: Navistar Defense, LLC today expanded its worldwide customer list to include the United Kingdom through the Ministry of Defence's Tactical Support Vehicle (TSV) program. The United Kingdom announced in late October that it had earmarked £350 million (~US$525 million) for 400 TSV units.
Navistar has formally entered into contract negotiations to provide 260 TSV Husky units based off its International MXT platform to meet an urgent need. The company anticipates that the contract will be ratified in early 2009.
The Husky, which is the medium TSV variant, will be procured for specific missions in three vehicle types: utility, ambulance and command vehicle. Currently, delivery of the vehicles is scheduled to begin in the first half of the 2009 calendar year.
“Navistar is proud to participate in the TSV program and offer the U.K. a flexible MXT platform that can be rapidly modified to meet urgent requirements,” said Robert Puhalovich, sales director, Navistar Defense. “We will continue to deliver on our commitment to provide a comprehensive value solution that includes military vehicles, and worldwide parts and field service support.”
The MXT is designed to fill a gap that exists between the smaller traditional armored 4×4’s that may be payload challenged, and the larger class of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that may be mobility restrained for certain mission requirements.
“Leveraging our current commercial capabilities and assets allows Navistar Defense to rapidly respond,” said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar Defense. “Providing the International MXT for the TSV program is another example of how Navistar Defense is not only supporting the U.S. military, but NATO allies.”
Final assembly of the MXT TSV units will occur at the company’s West Point, Miss., assembly plant, which has produced more than 5,300 International MaxxPro MRAP vehicles. MXT Husky units will be powered by MaxxForce D 6.0 L V8 engines.
The TSV contract award follows Navistar’s selection in October as one of nine finalists to compete to replace the U.K.’s light tactical wheeled vehicle fleet in the highly-competitive Operational Utility Vehicle Systems (OUVS) program. Navistar will provide vehicles for testing and trials in 2009 to replace a portion of the army’s fleet, which includes Land Rover, Wolf, Reynolds Boughton RB-44 and Pinzgauer vehicles. Current estimates place the opportunity at greater than 4,000 units. Vehicles submitted for the OUVS program will also be based on the MXT platform.
Navistar Defense is an affiliate of Navistar International Corporation, a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC brand school and commercial buses, and Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans.
