Marine Corps warns of rising costs after Army withdraws from JLTV program
The U.S. Army’s decision to halt further procurement of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) threatens to increase unit costs for the U.S. Marine Corps and potentially disrupt its long-term modernization plans, according to testimony delivered this week by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith.
Speaking before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Gen. Smith emphasized the JLTV’s centrality to the Marine Corps’ tactical mobility strategy and expressed concern over the Army’s unilateral exit from the joint program.
“The Marine Corps is fully committed to the JLTV program. It is our workhorse on the ground tactical vehicle fleet,” Gen. Smith told lawmakers. “It’s a little bit too early to assess the impact of the Army stopping their version of the program, but per unit costs are clearly going to go up … when the orders go down.”
JLTV: A Joint Effort Undone
The JLTV program was established as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army and Marine Corps to replace the aging High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee) fleet with a more survivable, versatile, and mobile ground vehicle. Designed to withstand modern threats while remaining agile, the JLTV platform includes both two-seat and four-seat configurations and supports a range of mission sets—from troop transport and reconnaissance to heavy weapons carriage and close combat.
Initially, Oshkosh Defense was awarded the production contract in August 2015. In February 2023, AM General secured the follow-on contract to produce the next generation of JLTVs, continuing the vehicle’s evolution with new efficiencies and improved performance.
However, the future of the JLTV program took a sharp turn on May 1, when Army officials released a memo outlining their intention to divest from the JLTV over time. The move was further confirmed in congressional testimony by senior Army leadership, who cited the transition as part of a broader modernization strategy under the “Army Transformation Initiative” announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in April 2025.
“We will do no future procurement buys for the JLTV, for the Army,” said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus at the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) conference in Tennessee. “But the Marine Corps and foreign military sales partners can continue. We’ve bought enough already.”
To date, the Army has procured around 20,000 JLTVs, with deliveries ongoing.
No Consultation, No Consensus
The Army’s decision has sparked concern not only over cost implications but also the breakdown in inter-service communication. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, criticized the Army for not coordinating with the Marine Corps before announcing the change.
“That is beyond disappointing,” said McCollum. “Joint means joint. That’s what the ‘J’ stands for. Joint decisions should be informed together as part of joint programs if they need to change.”
A Marine Corps official confirmed to Breaking Defense that the service was not consulted in advance of the Army’s announcement—an omission that some lawmakers view as a breach of joint program protocol.
JLTV’s Role in Marine Corps Modernization
For the Marine Corps, the JLTV is more than just a utility vehicle—it is a critical component of key modernization programs. In his written testimony, Gen. Smith highlighted two major systems currently integrated with the JLTV chassis:
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ROGUE-Fires: A remotely operated ground vehicle based on the JLTV, ROGUE-Fires is designed to launch the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), an advanced anti-ship missile platform that forms part of the Marine Corps’ distributed lethality strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
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MADIS (Marine Air Defense Integrated System): A mobile counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) weapon also mounted on the JLTV, MADIS plays a critical role in defending Marine units against aerial threats, particularly drones.
The potential rise in per-unit costs due to the Army’s withdrawal could jeopardize the scalability and affordability of these programs, undermining Marine Corps efforts to modernize its force for high-end conflict scenarios.
Foreign Interest Remains Strong
Despite the Army’s departure, the JLTV continues to enjoy significant international interest. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), foreign military sales customers include:
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United Kingdom
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Israel
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Romania
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Lithuania
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Poland
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Slovakia
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Montenegro
These countries view the JLTV as a highly capable platform for modern land warfare, and continued demand from international partners could help mitigate the cost impacts resulting from reduced U.S. Army participation.
What Comes Next?
While the Marine Corps moves ahead with its JLTV-based initiatives, the program's future will depend on how cost-sharing and production volumes evolve. With the Army stepping away, a greater burden may fall on the Marine Corps, its foreign partners, and potentially other U.S. services to sustain the production line and support infrastructure.
Whether lawmakers will intervene, or whether further negotiations between the services will lead to a revised procurement approach, remains to be seen. For now, Gen. Smith's testimony underscores a growing rift in joint acquisition efforts and a need for more transparent inter-service coordination as the Pentagon charts its future force structure.
