Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV)
The FMTV is one of the most versatile vehicles in the United States Army Fleet. The Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles is actually a series of vehicles that are based on a common chassis. The amount and size of cargo that can be transported varies based on the configuration, payload, and the mission requirements. Derived from the Austrian Steyr 12M18 truck, the FMTV has undergone extensive modifications and upgrades that were required to meet and maintain the United States Army requirements.
In terms of durability, reliability and performance, the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles has proven itself to be a winner over and over again. Meeting the challenge in actual combat, the new kid on the block is battle tested and “all grown up”. It is highly mission capable, meets the demands of the battlefield, and has the endorsement of the military personnel who rely on it. In addition, a design that leverages the use of common parts across chassis variants both reduces the logistics burden and lowers costs across the board. Along with a Long-Term Armor Strategy-compliant cab (LTAS) and other advanced technologies, Army soldiers get the enhanced protection they need to complete their missions with confidence.
FMTV Forerunners
Veteran soldiers will probably remember the old “Deuce and a Half” and 5 ton trucks that were the workhorses of the Army. These were the vehicles that the FMTV was sorely needed to replace. Both were outdated and the costs of maintenance were simply no longer feasible.
The Deuce and a Half
The M35 2½-ton cargo truck, affectionately known as the “deuce and a half”, is a long-lived 2½-ton 6×6 cargo truck. In addition to the United States Army, it was used by many nations all over the world. Eventually, it evolved into an entire family of specialized vehicles. The nickname “Deuce and a Half” came from a slang term used to describe an older 2½-ton truck, the (GMC CCKW) that was in service during World War II.
The Five Ton
The 5‑ton 6×6 truck, was a class of heavy-duty trucks that were designed to transport a 5-ton (4,500 kg) load over all roads and cross-country terrain while operating under all weather conditions. For 40 years, these trucks were the United States Army’s golden standard for medium transportation until being replaced by the FMTV. Their design featured a ladder frame with three live beam axles, leaf springs in the front, and tandem leaf springs with locating arms in the rear. A lot of these vehicles were fitted with a front-mounted 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) capacity winch.
FMTV Variations
When introduced, there were 17 configurations of the FMTV. Four of the variants fell into the two and a half ton payload category. You will find these vehicles used by personnel from several different Army branches. They were designated as Light Medium Tactical Vehicles (LMTVs). The remaining 13 variants had a greater (5 ton) payload rating. These were given the designation of MTVs (Medium Tactical Vehicles).
The FMTV is currently manufactured by the Oshkosh Corporation. In addition to the vehicle, there are also two cargo trailers that are a part of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. The M1082 single-axle trailer is used with the LMTV cargo truck and the M1095 twin-axle trailer is use with the MTV cargo truck. Both of these trailers are capable of carrying payloads equal to that of the towing truck. They also share many of the components (including axles) with the towing truck.
Operational requirements made it necessary for FMTVs to have the option of cab armoring. Upon that determination, several designs followed including those for an Enhanced Crew Protected Cab, and later an Armor Protected Cab. Each of these designs added increased ballistic protection against direct fire, artillery burst and mines. To take crew protection to the next level, BAE Systems developed the Low Signature Armored Cab (LSAC) that was suitable to provide even more shielding for all variants of the FMTV. A remove and replace operation is required the replaces the entire FMTV cab with the the LSAC.
The following table shows the nomenclature, use, and additional features of FMTV variants.
- LMTV = Light Medium Tactical Vehicle
- MTV = Medium Tactical Vehicle
- LHS = Load Handling System
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