OSHKOSH, Wis. — April 15, 2010 — Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, announced today that it has received a purchase order for more than $11 million from Force Protection Industries, Inc. (FPII) to extend an existing contract and retain approximately 100 Oshkosh field service representatives (FSR) in Kuwait for an additional four months.

The FSRs will continue support of FPII and the military with installation of the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension systems on FPII Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, known as Cougars, which started in July 2009. The extension will allow Oshkosh FSRs to continue work in Kuwait through June of this year.

Oshkosh Defense is working with multiple manufacturers of legacy MRAPs and has received orders to retrofit more than 2,500 vehicles with the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension systems. Vehicles outfitted with the TAK-4 system have greater mobility with 16 inches of independent wheel travel to provide advanced off-road capabilities necessary for Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain and unimproved roads. The system also greatly reduces shock and vibration, resulting in longer component life and less wear-and-tear on soldiers and Marines so they can be better prepared for their missions.

“We’ve had great success in retrofitting legacy MRAPs with our TAK-4 independent suspension system, enabling the military’s current fleet to deliver exceptional off-road performance and crew comfort,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “These improvements allow our troops to operate in Afghanistan’s extreme environments, so it’s important to get these upgrades in the field as fast as possible. Our FSRs allow us to move quickly by working in theater with our troops, bringing Oshkosh technology and support directly to our warfighters.”

The Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system has undergone more than 500,000 miles of government testing and is used on the Oshkosh® MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). The system also is featured on more than 10,000 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR) used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy Seabees, as well as on the Army’s next-generation Palletized Load System (PLS) and the Marine Corps’ Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR).

Oshkosh FSRs are currently working in the United Kingdom, Egypt and Germany, in addition to FSRs deployed in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq to provide in-field support and enhance military mobility.

Oshkosh
16.04.2010