Stuff like this is interesting to me because this is like a clash of the titans. One leader in one industry, coming over and taking on the leaders in another industry in a battle for a very large prize.
I also think that Ford will have plenty of testimonials (good or bad) from contractors and military about their use of up-armored F 350’s on the roads of Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I doubt Ford will use their F 350 as their entry. Who know’s what Ford’s design will be and it will be cool to see what they come up with that will actually ‘provide better protection to troops at a lower price and weight than competitors’.
Also, check this quote out.
In a presentation circulated in November on Capitol Hill, a team led by Ford proposed bearing the full cost of about $400 million to build production-ready prototypes without the government funding normally awarded during the development process. It said its vehicle would provide better protection to troops at a lower price and weight than competitors.
That is some serious confidence in their vehicles if they are willing to invest that much. –Matt
Edit: 2/7/2012 It looks like Ford has backed out of the bidding for this contract. Too bad.
Ford Takes On Lockheed for $54 Billion in Blast-Proof Vehicles
January 13, 2012
By Roxana Tiron and Brendan McGarry
Ford Motor Co. is leading a push by commercial-truck makers to challenge defense contractors for a potential $54 billion in work replacing U.S. military Humvees with blast-proof all-terrain vehicles.
The Army and Marine Corps plan to open competition Jan. 20 in the second development phase for their Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Truck manufacturers Ford, Navistar International Corp. and Oshkosh Corp. may take on teams led by defense companies General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and BAE Systems Plc that won the three first-stage contracts.
Congress added language to this year’s defense spending bill prodding the military to embrace “off-the-shelf technology demonstrated by industry” to develop vehicles that can better protect troops from improvised explosive devices. Ford has met with aides on Capitol Hill and Pentagon officials to pitch its case for building the battle-ready trucks and bypassing the usual acquisition process.
The effort by Ford, the second-biggest U.S. automaker, “is a very intriguing strategic move,” Brian Johnson, an auto industry analyst for Barclays Capital Inc. in Chicago, said in an interview. “The benefits are finding an additional market for your most profitable vehicles, such as large pickup trucks, especially at a time when the retail demand is at the mercy of gas prices.”