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Report | May 2, 2018

Army and Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle DODIG-2018-113


Objective:

We determined whether the Army and Marine Corps developed adequate test plans and demonstrated effective results to prepare the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program for full rate production.

Background:

The JLTV program is a joint Army and Marine Corps acquisition effort developed to replace the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. The JLTV program provides the Army and Marine Corps with a general-purpose, light tactical vehicle that is designed to deliver an optimal balance of protection, payload, and performance to enhance the effectiveness of ground combat and supporting forces. The Army and Marine Corps plan to purchase 56,340 JLTVs from FY 2015 to FY 2037. As of December 25, 2017, the JLTV total life-cycle cost estimate is approximately $48 billion. The JLTV has two variants: a four-seat vehicle that can carry 3,500 pounds, and a two-seat vehicle that can carry 5,100 pounds. The four-seat variant has three mission package configurations—general purpose, heavy guns carrier, and close combat weapons carrier. The two-seat variant has one configuration, the utility/shelter carrier vehicle.

Finding:

The Army and Marine Corps developed adequate test plans but have not demonstrated effective test results to prepare the JLTV program for full rate production. We reviewed eight maintenance-related vehicle performance requirements for the JLTV.

The requirements developer, the Marine Corps Assistant Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration, has acknowledged and accepted the JLTV test results. Consequently, the requirements developer is not changing requirements, and is choosing not to incorporate the unmet maintenance-related vehicle performance requirements in the baseline vehicle to maintain program cost and schedule. Despite not meeting all maintenance related performance requirements, the Joint Program Office estimates JLTV operations and support costs will be reduced by $8.3 billion due to better fuel usage and better reliability than expected.

In addition, the JLTV requirements developer did not clearly define vehicle requirements.

Recommendations:

We recommend the Program Executive Officer, Combat Support and Combat Service Support clearly define and address program requirements in future production contracts supporting systems acquisition.

We recommend the Project Manager, Joint Program Office, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles:

  • Determine the additional costs required for the JLTV.
  • Prior to fielding, integrate requirements into all JLTVs.

Management Actions Taken:

The Acting Program Executive Officer, Combat Support and Combat Service Support, (PEO CS&CSS) responding for the Project Manager, Joint Program Office, JLTV, agreed with our finding and recommendation. The Acting PEO CS&CSS stated that program officials will incorporate the cost into the appropriate reporting and cost estimating systems to determine and report affordability. Therefore, this recommendation is resolved but remains open. We will close this recommendation when we verify that program officials have determined the costs are affordable and incorporated into the final cost of the JLTV.

The Acting PEO CS&CSS, responding for the Project Manager, Joint Program Office, JLTV, stated that program officials plan to equip all JLTVs. Therefore, this recommendation is resolved but remains open. We will close this recommendation when we verify that the solution is incorporated into the JLTV design before fielding.

This report is a result of Project No. D2017-D000AU-0150.000.