Interview with Andy Hove, President of Oshkosh Defense

06:04 GMT, June 23, 2009 The U.S. company Oshkosh Defense, a division of the Oshkosh Corporation, has regularly been in the news during the past months as one of the major competitors in the U.S. Army M-ATV contest. However, its range of activities and portfolio extends to a large number of technical fields such as multi-purpose protected vehicle families, unmanned ground systems, and vehicle propulsion. Providing state-of-the-art and battle proven solutions to the U.S. and international military customers, Oshkosh Defense confidently engages in major military procurement competitions. To offer our readers an overall outlook on the company’s activities defence.professionals (defpro) has recently held the following interview with Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of Oshkosh Defense.


defpro: Mr Hove, how would you see the global trend for building logistic trucks with protected cabins?

Hove: We have seen with our U.S. military partners a growing need for vehicles that provide improved cab protection from a number of different attacks, including improvised explosive devices (IED), explosively formed penetrators (EFP), rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. The Pentagon’s Long-Term Armor Strategy (LTAS), which our next-generation vehicles adhere to, calls for a modular armor system on vehicles. This includes A-kit and B-kit armor. The A-kit armor is factory installed on the vehicle, while the B-kit is an add-on armor system that troops can install in the field. This second level of armor provides added protection to the cab and gives units the flexibility to adapt their vehicles to meet the needs of individual situations.

The ability to upgrade a vehicle’s armor for changing threat levels makes sense not only for ongoing operations around the world but for the future operations, because the additional armor is optional and can be added only as needed. We developed the SandCat specifically for our global military partners, and we consider its flexible armor system to be one of its best features as it allows the vehicle to be adapted to whatever the needs require.


defpro: Do you see the trend continuing, even after the end of ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Hove: Keeping service members out of harm’s way has always been a top priority for both the industry and their military partners. The extent to which the trend of protected cabs continues will likely depend on the needs of future operations and how well existing fleets meet those needs.


defpro: Which percentage of the total fleet should be equipped with armoured cabins?

Hove: That’s something our military partners would decide based on several factors, such as the vehicle’s purpose, the mission and the potential threats.


defpro: Do you think it will be technically more advantageous to have a number of trucks permanently fitted with armoured cabins or rather changeable cabins?

Hove: It’s dependent on a military’s own needs or preferences, but the benefits of add-on armor solutions are numerous. It essentially allows two variants of a vehicle to be manufactured and purchased as one vehicle. Vehicles using only the factory-installed A-kit armor have a lower overall vehicle weight, increased payload capacity and lower fuel consumption. When the situation demands it, troops in the field can quickly and easily install the add-on armor to improve crew protection while maintaining the vehicle’s capabilities.


defpro: Regarding your company’s hybrid development efforts, how do you see the future of hybrid propulsion for military logistic trucks?

Hove: We developed our ProPulse diesel- and hybrid-electric drive technology knowing that its exportable-power capabilities could significantly improve operations in the field, improve fuel efficiency and reduce the logistics footprint of vehicle fleets. Our HEMTT A3, which is currently in the R&D stages with the U.S. Army, uses the ProPulse system for both logistics and sustainability advantages. The hybrid technology improves the vehicle’s fuel efficiency by at least 20 percent in comparison to other HEMTT models. Components such as the transmission, transfer case and drive shafts are removed because the vehicle’s generator powers electric drive motors on each of the axles, which makes the HEMTT A3 easier to maintain. The vehicle can export more than 100 kW of military-grade power, which eliminates the need for a trailer-mounted generator set. This exportable power can be used for a number of purposes, such as powering a command post or for onboard defense systems, to help units move and operate equipment with only one chassis. We believe technology such as ProPulse will lead the way in vehicle modernization as it ultimately makes fleets more nimble while retaining the high levels of protection, performance and payload that are needed.


defpro: In consideration of current logistic operations demanding higher cross-country capability than in the past, what solution can be introduced to deliver this capability without pushing the price too high?

Hove: Oshkosh Defense has proven itself to be a leader in supplying the military with off-road capable vehicles that can withstand the most challenging environments. A good example of this would be the Afghanistan theater of operations, where missions often require off-road travel. We introduced our Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) more than 10 years ago specifically designed for off-road use. The TAK-4 independent suspension system we developed for the MTVR has proven very successful on the harshest cross-country terrain, which is why we integrated the system into our MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). Like the MTVR, our M ATV was designed with a 70 percent off-road mission profile, allowing the warfighter to travel faster and farther on rugged terrain. Additionally, we recently received a contract to retrofit more than 1,500 existing MRAPs with our advanced TAK-4 system to improve their off-road mobility in Afghanistan. This proves that vehicles can be easily and cost-effectively adapted to meet the demands of off-road missions, and our technology is leading the way.


defpro: The development and acquisition of M-ATVs currently is one of the major topics in order to meet imperative requirements of US troops deployed in Afghanistan. What is your personal view on this matter? What feedback do you get from the soldiers and how can industry help?

Hove: We always encourage the feedback of our military partners – whether it’s military leadership or the warfighter in the field – to give us the best sense of what’s needed for current or future operations. The demand for M-ATVs in Afghanistan began with an urgent-need requirement from the soldiers and Marines in the field. They told military leadership that they needed something that could traverse the rugged and mountainous terrain in the country while retaining the survivability of MRAPs. Also, it was something they needed as soon as possible. We see it as our responsibility to deliver the most mobile and well-protected vehicle for the warfighter, and we believe we’ve done that with the Oshkosh M-ATV.


defpro: All major competitors, including Oshkosh, have now delivered test vehicles for military evaluation. Where do you perceive the leading-edge advantages of Oshkosh’s M-ATV solution in this competition?

Hove: We incorporated vehicle components and technologies from our mission-proven vehicles to ensure our non-developmental M-ATV excels in the program’s two key requirements: mobility and survivability. To provide the most mobile vehicle available, we integrated our TAK-4 independent suspension system. As I previously mentioned, the TAK-4 system is an integral component on the more than 10,000 MTVRs we have delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy Seabees. The vehicles have successfully operated in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and have undergone more than 400,000 miles of government testing. To provide the MRAP-level protection that is needed on the M-ATV, we turned to Plasan North America, which developed a superior armor system similar to what’s used on more than 5,000 MRAPs, as well as for our Armored Cab MTVR. The company is a proven and highly regarded leader in the field of vehicle armor solutions. Additionally, our pre-award production efforts will allow us to meet the government’s most probable delivery order of 2,080 vehicles within months of an awarded contract and several hundred to 1,000 vehicles on a monthly basis. We also have conducted more than 10,000 miles of independent on- and off-road durability testing, which allows us to continually make any improvements to the vehicle that we feel make it better.


defpro: In early 2009 Oshkosh has reached an agreement with the US Army on further development efforts in the field of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) technology. What is the current status of your company’s activities in this area and where is the road leading to?

Hove: Our efforts in the field of UGVs and UGV technology have been proactive and ongoing for a number of years. Our TerraMax vehicle is an unmanned vehicle based on our 4x4 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement. It took part in the 2004 and 2005 DARPA Grand Challenges, as well as the DARPA Urban Challenge in 2007. The vehicle uses a light-detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, camera-based vision, and a GPS/IMU system for operation and navigation. It also features our Command Zone drive-by-wire technology. This allows for computer-controlled steering and direct electronic control of the vehicle’s acceleration, braking and transmission systems.

Earlier this year, we signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army’s Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to use UGVs for convoy missions in real-world environments. The goal here is to create a lead UGV that can operate in missions while communicating route information with other UGVs in the convoy. We will work with the Army to integrate a Convoy Active Safety Technology (CAST) surrogate system onto TerraMax. Through this research and testing with the Army, we hope to prove the technology capabilities to the point where we can increase the situational awareness of those in the vehicle and also help increase their safety.


defpro: Oshkosh’s market focus obviously lies in the United States. Are there any specific efforts to enter new markets, as for instance in Europe or in Middle East countries?

Hove: We’re actually quite involved with a number of countries outside of the United States, such as the United Kingdom, Egypt, Greece, Australia and Jordan, to serve them with the high-performance, heavy-duty vehicles they need. As I mentioned, we developed the SandCat specifically for our international military partners. It is a highly protected, maneuverable and multipurpose vehicle that can be adapted to each country’s individual needs, whether that be peacekeeping, military, homeland security, law enforcement and security, disaster aid or special operations. Our other vehicles designed for global markets include the Medium Tactical Truck (MTT), which is a lightweight and very mobile vehicle that also offers exceptional crew protection, and the Global Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), which has a 72-ton payload capacity and is similar to the HET we supply to the U.S. Army for the transportation of battle tanks, armored vehicles and other heavy equipment.

Additionally, our production facilities, aftermarket program and field service representatives cover the world to meet the needs of our military partners and their deployed units. Our remanufacturing and recapitalization services in the Middle East region allow heavily worn vehicles to return to the theater within 100 days and at a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle, while still coming with the same bumper-to-bumper warranty and zero-mile quality of a new vehicle. Our production facility in Egypt allows us to supply customers with the vehicles they want in a timely and affordable fashion.


defpro: What is the next major step or event for the company?

Hove: Our top priorities are to continue to meet the needs of our military partners, both in the U.S. and internationally, by continuing our tradition of delivering the durable and reliable vehicles that they have come to expect, and doing so on time and in the numbers promised. Within the last year, we were awarded a new Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles contract to deliver next-generation versions of our Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), HET and Palletized Load System (PLS). These vehicles feature numerous upgrades and will better serve our troops in the field. We’re also working on some exciting projects that take our vehicles and technologies to the next level, such as our unmanned ground vehicle work, which will help shape the military’s fleets of tomorrow. The work that we’re doing with ProPulse will make units more nimble. And the strong relationships we have with our military partners will continue to help us evolve our vehicles to meet the challenges of future operations. Globally, we continue to introduce new and upgraded vehicles that meet a number of needs for our military partners around the world.


defpro: Thank you very much, Mr Hove.