United Arab Emirates Preparing To Buy M-ATVsQUANTICO, Virginia — Significant foreign military sales are in the works for the lightest-weight MRAP variant built by Oshkosh, including a sale to the United Arab Emirates, according to the company.
https://defensenews.com/blogs/modern-day-marine/2010/09/29/united-arab-emirates-preparing-to-buy-m-atvs/
The UAE is looking to buy the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), said John Bryant, vice president and general manager for Marine Corps programs at Oshkosh. The M-ATV was developed to meet an urgent operational request from U.S. combat forces in Afghanistan. There are currently 8,108 vehicles on contract with Oshkosh for the U.S. military.
In addition to the UAE, there are two other foreign military sales being worked, including an urgent requirement, Bryant said.
Oshkosh expects to wrap up production of the first 8,108 vehicles by the beginning of November, allowing the company to address the needs of other countries, he said.
More U.S. contracts also seem likely.
The Pentagon is working a joint urgent operational needs statement for an M-ATV-like ambulance, according to Lt. Col. Coll Haddon, program manager for M-ATV. And Oshkosh believes the U.S. Marine Corps has a need for a reconnaissance variant, Bryant said.
Bryant said he is also confident that the U.S. military’s requirement for the first configuration of the vehicle, what’s being shipped now to Afghanistan, will also grow.
The M-ATV contract was awarded to Oshkosh on June 30, 2009. By December, the first unit was equipped, 159 days after the contract award. Now, there are more than 5,000 of the vehicles operating in Afghanistan.