SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Col. Shane N. Fullmer assumed leadership of the Joint Program Office for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles in a July 8 event held here. Fullmer takes over from Col. John R. Cavedo, Jr., who has led the joint Army and Marine Corps program of record since November 2012.
The change of leadership comes as the program concludes its engineering and manufacturing development phase and looks forward to awarding an initial production contract in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year.
Scott J. Davis, the Army's program executive officer for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, (PEO CS&CSS) presided over the ceremony. "What this team has accomplished is tremendous," he said. "You kept this program on budget, on schedule, and focused on the capability gains our Soldiers and Marines need despite some amazing challenges. That's a credit to Col. Cavedo's leadership and to each of you. Well done."
The Army leads the Joint Program Office, headquartered here, in close coordination with the Marine Corps' Program Executive Office for Land Systems located aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
JLTVs will fill a key gap between today's legacy HMMWV fleet and the larger, less mobile MRAP fleets -- providing a critical balance of payload, performance and protection. Designed to address challenges in maintainability, connectivity, and performance in today's light tactical vehicle fleets, the JLTV program will provide major operational improvements in protected mobility, network connectivity, fuel efficiency, and reliability, along with growth potential to meet future mission requirements.
The Army plans to acquire 49,099 vehicles with the First Unit Equipped in fiscal year 2018 and production running through approximately 2040. The USMC's procurement of 5,500 vehicles is front-loaded in the JLTV program plan, with Marine Corps Initial Operating Capability expected in fiscal year 2018, and fielding complete in fiscal year 2022.
"This program will make a big difference for our Soldiers and Marines," said Fullmer. "And I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it again as we move into the next program phase."
Fullmer inherits a well-recognized organization, as the JLTV team was honored with a 2013 Department of Defense David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award. Under Cavedo's leadership, the program has been lauded for implementing DoD Better Buying Power practices and innovative efforts to emphasize affordability, effectively manage requirements, and emphasize the benefits of competition in all phases.
Cavedo bid farewell, saying, "I can't imagine being prouder of this team and what we've accomplished together. From fielding 66 prototypes in less than a year to executing more than 1,000 test events at 17 locations, the dedication you've shown reflects the best of our Soldiers, Marines, and civilians. Thank you for the opportunity to serve with you, and I look forward to seeing JLTVs out in the force very soon!"
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