The green giant: Test driving the IDF's newest jeep
The green giant: Test driving the IDF's newest jeep
The Oshkosh JLTV military model is capable of amazing things in the right hands. Unfortunately, it cannot be purchased by civilians for now
It's called Oshkosh JLTV, an acronym for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, and it looks like a vehicle designed by a six-year-old child, which means it's ugly and as cool as only a child can imagine: Oshkosh JLTV is currently undergoing tests at the NASA unit's test base before entering service and we had an opportunity to take if for a ride.
First impression of the Oshkosh JLTV: it has huge wheels. They say that a big wheel reduces an obstacle, that is, in Jeep slang, the bigger the wheel, the more likely it is to run over rocks. The Oshkosh JLTV has no problem with that. But the big wheels are only one aspect of a wonderful vehicle: here you can forget about old models with six layers of paint or a tired diesel engine without a turbo: the JLTV has four independent suspensions, which means that each wheel can do what it wants when it hits a rock and the vehicle still stays balanced. That makes sense, according to Oshkosh each wheel can move 50.8 centimeters up and down. The suspensions are controlled by a hydraulic system that makes it possible to raise the chassis, or lower it.
When there is an alarm and then explosions somewhere over the IDF test area, which happened during the test drive, you just have to lift the Oshkosh chassis with the push of a button and lie under it. In any case, it is also armored inside and out. In addition to the impressive suspension system, it has front and rear differential locks, a device that allows both wheels to be locked so that they rotate at a uniform speed. There is also a transfer case like a normal SUV, that is, with a gear power that most of the time doesn't even seem necessary. There are anchor hooks on the sides to latch on when traveling by aircraft - and it also has LED lights.
First ignition: the noise is familiar but much louder: the Oshkosh has a General Motors engine, a huge Duramax that will be well known to any mechanic who knows how to handle Chevy's heavy pickups, but in the Oshkosh this engine has to move about seven tons. It's so loud it's hard to think.
The first turn of a round button puts it in "ready" mode. The car's computers reset, the pumps hum, the Oshkosh's braking system builds pressure. Not everything can be revealed, but every system in Oshkosh is built to be able to take a shot and keep working. It can limp home if needed, undergo a simple repair, get new olive green parts, and continue working.
The cabin of the Oshkosh JLTV includes an item well known to any owner of a Chinese electric car, or Tesla: a giant screen. Oshkosh's screen does not have beautiful paintings of a burning fireplace and music is also impossible to find: in the basic menus on the huge touch screen you can find every bit of information about the vehicle: fluid temperatures, pressure built up in the suspension system, menus that allow it to swim in deep water, crawl on a steep slope, also raise one side of the vehicle to deal with situations that Jeeps call "side slope" meaning a situation where the vehicle is stuck on its side on the slope. This system has another purpose: the doors of Oshkosh are so heavy that when it is on a side slope it is difficult to open them in the direction of the upper side and unload soldiers. When the system balances the Oshkosh, you can get out.
The climate control of the Oshkosh is excellent, in any case the windows cannot be opened. In its cabin, a pleasant 16 degrees prevails in any situation unless the heating is turned on. Surprisingly, there is also a standard charging socket, but apparently no Bluetooth. There is no driver's airbag, no one needs an airbag in a car that weighs as much as a city truck, but there is electronic stability control and incredibly effective ABS.
In conclusion, this green machine can do amazing things if put in the right hands. You only need to give it a determined driver, room to accelerate and plenty of room to park. Since it is a military model, unlike the Hummer 1 H, whose "civilian" version was also sold in Israel at the time (not to be confused with the Hummer 3 H), the Oshkosh cannot be purchased by civilians for now. If they were aware of its capabilities, quite a few jeep fans would be lining up.
