On March 28, 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that Israel would receive a new shipment of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) from Oshkosh Defense. This update came in the context of a visit to the United States by Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir, Director General of the Ministry of Defense of Israel. During this visit, Major General Zamir, along with Brigadier General (Ret.) Michel Ben Baruch, inspected a logistics center, where they reviewed several military acquisitions, including the JLTVs.
This impending delivery of JLTVs is part of a broader arrangement, detailed in a previous report by Army Recognition on November 16, 2023, which indicated that the United States had increased its military support to Israel following the outbreak of conflict with Hamas militants on October 7, 2023. This support includes a wide array of military equipment, including laser-guided missiles, artillery shells, night-vision devices, and bunker-buster munitions, with the request for 75 JLTVs being a significant component of this package.
The inclusion of JLTVs in the military aid package to Israel will significantly update the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) vehicle fleet, as this vehicle could potentially replace over 2,000 Humvees currently in use. This development is indicative of a trend among military forces worldwide to enhance their mobility and capability through increased procurement of JLTVs. Manufactured by Oshkosh Defense, the JLTV has been ordered by several branches of the US military as well as by nations like Belgium, Brazil, Lithuania, and Romania. As of June 2, 2023, production of the JLTV had reached 20,000 units.