Just as the Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter became an iconic symbol of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the Humvee has become the face of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sure, there are Strykers, Bradleys and an increasing number of MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles in theater, but none matches the ubiquity of American General’s M1114 HMMWV, of which there are about 170,000 in use.

While Iraq and Afghanistan have thrust the Humvee into the national spotlight, those wars also exposed weaknesses in the vehicle that are more a product of the insurgents’ arsenal than any design flaw. The biggest threat, of course, is the proliferation of powerful improvised explosive devices (IED) and explosively formed penetrators, which caused soldiers and Marines to add layers of bolt-on armor that slowed the vehicles and made them less maneuverable, two of the Humvee’s main selling points.

The search for a light, maneuverable, up-armored and easily transportable vehicle that withstands a portion of the IED threat has led the Army and Marine Corps to search for an alternative to the Humvee, which was never intended for the battlefield role it’s in. That’s where the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) comes into play.

While MRAPs are shipped to theater as fast as they roll off assembly lines (there are over 7,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan), the vehicle is a short-term fix and not a replacement for the Humvee. That’s envisioned for the JLTV. With the Army and Marine Corps calling for production of some 60,000 vehicles over eight years in a contract valued at about $40 billion, competition has brought out the industry’s heavy hitters. The field has been winnowed to six teams, three of which will be chosen in October to compete in a 27-month technology development phase, set to end in 2011. Once the phase is completed, the services will hold another open competition to award two contracts for system development and demonstration.

Prototype JLTV developed by Navistar and BAE Systems. The Pentagon will decide this month which of six teams advances in the vehicle competition. Credit: NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

The teams comprise Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems; Boeing and Textron; General Dynamics and AM General; BAE and Navistar International; Northrop Grumman and Oshkosh; and Force Protection and DRS Technologies.

In an emailed response to questions, Army Lt. Col. Wolfgang Petermann, product manager for the JLTV, says the Army and Marine Corps are planning to spend about $305 million on the technology-development phase, with estimates calling for the 27-month effort to cost approximately $60 million per contract. “[The] remaining funds will be allocated over three fiscal years to execute joint program management between the Army and USMC.” All of this, Petermann says, will be laid out in detail once the winning entries are announced.

While the program seems to be running smoothly, there have been blips. The three technology-development awards were supposed to be announced in July, but in late June, the Pentagon pushed the award date back to a nebulous “fall 2008” timeframe, keeping everyone guessing until late August, when the October date was set. The pause came because the Defense Dept. had to ask Congress for an extra $60 million in its Fiscal 2008 omnibus reprogramming request to pay for research and development for the vehicles.

Petermann explains that originally the Defense Acquisition Executive (DAE) directed the Army and Marine Corps to fund three technology-development contracts. But “to bridge the funding gap between the original JLTV funding profiles, which were structured to meet Defense Dept. policy for two or more technology-development contracts, and the DAE’s program guidance to pursue award of three contracts, the Army sought additional funding to support a third contractor.” After a brief delay, Congress approved in August the omnibus reprogramming action, which provided $60 million for a third technology-development contractor.

It’s hard to pick three standouts from the teams vying for the contract, since each brings its own level of experience to the table:

•General Dynamics makes the Stryker infantry vehicle, has delivered several hundred MRAPs, and is teamed up with AM General, which produces the Humvee.