July 11, 2017
(AFP) - The US State Department said Monday it is ready to sell thousands of tactical vehicles to Britain in a contract worth more than $1 billion.
The sale comes after the British government requested a possible sale of up to 2,747 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) in a contract worth $1.035 billion.
"This proposed sale supports the foreign policy and national security policies of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally which has been, and continues to be, an important partner on critical foreign policy and defense issues."
Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, but with Britain essentially America's top military ally, that is unlikely.
The JLTV is a new all-purpose military vehicle that has been designed to replace the Humvee in the US military.
The maker of the JLTV is Oshkosh Defense in Wisconsin, and the sale will include armor, run-flat tire kits, technical assistance and other elements.
Oshkosh in 2015 was awarded a $6.75 billion contract to replace thousands of Humvees in the US military.
The Humvee struggled in Iraq, where its flat-bellied hull was unable to dissipate the blasts of roadside bombs.
Unlike in a Humvee, parts of the new JLTV fragment, so explosive forces are carried away from the cab, helping to disperse the deadly energy.
