Why This 'Overpriced' American Tactical Vehicle Survived Every IED That Destroyed The Humvee

The Oshkosh JLTV is the ~$400,000 machine built to do what the Humvee couldn't: survive the IEDs that killed crews across Iraq and Afghanistan. When roadside bombs tore through unarmored Humvees, the US military needed a vehicle that paired MRAP-grade blast protection with real off-road speed. Oshkosh Defense won the original $6.7 billion production contract in 2015, going on to build over 20,000 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles at their plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The JLTV's V-hull, TAK-4i intelligent suspension and Plasan-designed armored capsule were engineered to deflect blast energy that the Humvee's flat floor simply absorbed. The result: a light tactical vehicle that gave crews MRAP-grade survivability at one-third the weight. Today the JLTV serves the US Army, Marine Corps, Lithuania, Belgium, Romania and beyond. The Israeli Defense Forces took it into combat in Gaza as transport, command post and mobile drone-control platform. The twist: in 2025 the US Army cancelled further procurement — while Israel moved to order 3,250 more in a $1.98 billion deal. This is the full story of the truck they called unkillable. Subscribe to BritishWarForce for cinematic deep dives into the machines that define modern war. Footage used for educational and historical purposes. #JLTV #Humvee #Oshkosh #MilitaryVehicles #USArmy