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Oshkosh Corporation

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www.oshkoshcorp.com

Oshkosh Corporation (formerly Oshkosh Truck) is an American industrial company that designs and builds specialty trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies, airport fire apparatus, and access equipment. Company brands include: JLG, Jerr-Dan, Hinowa, Oshkosh Defense, Pratt Miller, Pierce, Frontline, Oshkosh Airport Products, Maxi-Metal, McNeilus, Oshkosh S-Series and IMT.

The company manufactures hulls for armored military vehicles and armored personnel carriers (APC) for the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD), used in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The company provides the Israeli military with the “Namer 1500” and “Eitan” Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), both were used in Israel's recent military invasion of Gaza.

On December 1st, 2023, Oshkosh announced that it would supply the IMOD with its Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), ordered by the IMOD at the end of November 2023. An order for 75 JLTVs was placed through Foreign Military Sale (FMS), and an additional order for dozens more through Direct Commercial Sale (DCS).

“Namer 1500” and “Eitan” Armored Personnel Carriers

In November 2023, the Israeli military deployed the Namer 1500 APC in its first combat use in the military invasion in northern Gaza. The Namer 1500 is an APC coming from the IMOD's Directorate of the Merkava and Armored Vehicles, intended to enhance the Israeli Ground Forces’ effectiveness.

In February 2023, Oshkosh signed an agreement with the IMOD to produce hundreds of the Namer 1500 armored personnel carrier (APC) variant for over USD 139.6 million (GBP 100 million) financed by US aid. In June 2023, the IMOD received the first delivery of the new APCs.

Also in November 2023, the Israeli military announced that the “Eitan” APC had entered into operational use in Gaza. In December 2022, the IMOD contracted Oshkosh in an agreement to produce 500 hulls of the “Eitan” armored personnel carrier (APC) for the Israeli military for over USD 100 million, funded by the US. According to the contract, the hulls will be fitted with unmanned turrets and other systems and sent for operational use.

The Eitan APC is based on the Merkava tank and Namer APC technologies. It can accommodate 12 personnel and travel at a speed of 90 km/h with an all-terrain maneuvering capability. It also features Elbit System's "Iron Fist" defense system, peripheral cameras equipped with day and night vision, front calculation and processing capabilities using computerized technology, and touch monitors and processors.

“Panther” Armored Vehicle

The Israeli military armored vehicle “Panther” is built on Oshkosh Defense’s tactical vehicle FMTV Military Truck (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) and used by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Hundreds of additional company’s FMTV trucks are used by the Israeli military for logistical transport.

The Panther vehicle is an armored combat vehicle used in ongoing military operations, mainly in the occupied West Bank. The vehicle is also used by the Israel Border Police Yamas undercover unit (Mista'arvim) whose operatives disguise themselves as Palestinians.

In 2019, the military completed the development and modification of the Panther. The vehicle was modified to allow it to easily move through the alleys that characterize the area of the West Bank. The modified trucks have space for 14 soldiers and include peripheral cameras, advanced weapons systems and machine guns, a tire inflation system, escape hatches, windshields and a mobile driver assist system. The vehicle is painted on the outside and inside with special materials for thermal insulation, maintaining temperature and retarding combustion, and protective panels designed to absorb small arms bullets without penetration. The vehicle's estimated cost is about NIS 1 million.

On June 19, 2023, the Panther vehicle was used by the Israeli military in its invasion of Jenin, during which 5 Palestinians were killed, including a 15-year-old.

In May 2022, the vehicle was put to show in the military’s parking station in the settlement of Elkana in the occupied West Bank.

In January 2020, the Israeli military purchased new modified versions of Oshkosh Defense’s tactical vehicles FMTV Military Truck (FMTV) for its multi-purpose armored “Panther” vehicles. The FMTVs were provided via several contracts, including one contract for 589 vehicles at a total value of about US$ 159 million. The delivery of the vehicles is expected to be completed in October 2024.

In November 2017, the company signed NIS 200 million agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) according to which the company will supply the military with approximately 200 new FMTV model trucks over the following year and a half. The deal was financed by the US foreign aid funds. Earlier the same year, the IMOD purchased the first six FMTVs trucks which were mainly used to examine their suitability for the military’s operational needs.

In previous years, the IMOD purchased several dozen Oshkosh trucks of an older model from the US Army surplus.