The Netherlands Ministry of Defence has signed an order, valued at US$25-30 million, for additional Dutch Expeditionary Patrol Vehicles (DXPV) from Oshkosh Defence LLC and Oshkosh Europe BV, according to a 13 January company release.
Known as the Kaaiman in Dutch service, 150 of the vehicles were procured in April last year to fulfil the MoD’s Future Littoral All Terrain Mobility – Patrol Vehicle (FLATM-PV) requirement. Designed from the outset to accommodate future integration of evolving technologies and mission systems, the DXPV is based on the successful Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and its selection is a symptom of the Netherlands’ continuing to provide alliance leadership in vehicle modernisation and joint interoperability. Commenting at the time of the original order on the 22,000 JLTVs delivered to US forces and the 1,600 for NATO and other allied member states, Oshkosh Defense’s Chief Programs Officer, Pat Williams, said “[…] this high level of commonality not only significantly reduces the logistics footprint required to support and sustain the DXPV, but also ensures exceptional system performance, maximizes operational readiness, and enhances interoperability. It enables our customers to leverage an established supply chain, streamline training, and simplify integration – driving greater efficiency and mission success across the board.”
The new order includes the provision of two DXPV training kits that will allow Dutch troops to begin training immediately, allowing for seamless transition and sustained operational capability. DA understands the vehicles are intended for use with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. The nation joins Belgium, Brazil, Israel, Lithuania, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the USA as operators of the JLTV and derived platforms.
DA Comment
The two orders form a milestone in ongoing modernisation of Dutch expeditionary capabilities, providing Dutch Marines with high off-road mobility and high speeds as well as seamless interoperability with NATO and other forces. The evolution of the DXPV demonstrates both the flexibility of the original design, which leverages an open systems engineering approach, and the Netherlands’ commitment to promoting the highest possible degree of joint operational utility. It would be difficult to overstate the operational, logistical and sustainability advantages accruing from reaching back to an ecosystem of almost 24,000 vehicles in a dozen armed services. It also highlights the ease with which Oshkosh has been able to ‘tweak’ the JLTV to meet specific Dutch requirements while maintaining those underlying advantages.
Kaaiman, incidentally, is not only an alligator-like reptile inhabiting South American swamps and marshes but also a mythical half-man, half-fish creature found lurking in deep South African pools. Some poetic license on the part of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, perhaps?
Headline image courtesy of Oshkosh Defense, LLC.
