JLTV: Trucks Vs. Aircraft (Trucks Win)
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AUSA: The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is the Army’s new truck, a versatile vehicle in the tradition of the Jeep and the Humvee. Today manufacturer Oshkosh Defense is showing just how versatile the JLTV can be, with two different ways to take down enemy drones, manned aircraft, and ground vehicles.
First in our video clip above is a two-seater utility version with the entire cargo bay filled with anti-aircraft equipment: sensors, a 7.62 mm machinegun, and a missile launcher that can be equipped with (for example) Longbow Hellfires, able to kill both low-flying aircraft and tanks.
Second is a JLTV variant equipped with not only a 30 mm autocannon for ground targets — something Oshkosh has shown before — but also a laser weapon that can burn out incoming drones. The Boeing-built laser requires no upgrades to the vehicle’s power plant and only takes up (in civilian terms) the trunk, leaving the passenger cabin free for four troops.
The Army hasn’t purchased either of these vehicles yet, but Oshkosh wants to show many more options the JLTV offers besides the four configurations the Army and Marines are already buying. With the US military increasingly worried about drones — be they terrorist flying IEDs or Russian artillery spotters — and enemy air attack, Oshkosh is playing directly to some major concerns.
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