OKINAWA, Japan -- 3rd Marine Division has received the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) on Okinawa, Japan, which will replace the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) currently being used by the U.S. Marine Corps.

“The JLTV rebalances the ‘Iron Triangle’,” says Andrew Rodgers, the program manager for the JLTV. “Payload, performance, and protection. We’re restoring the capability we had in the HMMWV prior to a war that involved [improvised explosive devices] and roadside ambushes.”

As technology progresses, so does the weight requirement to carry new equipment to sustain and protect Marines to complete missions. HMMWVs are being overloaded past their intended payload, degrading the vehicle’s mobility and range before operational mission failure.

The JLTV trumps the HMMWV in every aspect of the triangle: a scalable engine with a base tune that currently doubles the horsepower of the HMMWV; an increased operating payload to roughly 2,500 more pounds; and increased organic protection before additional armor kits, which results in an increased average vehicle range before operational mission failure.

The superior vehicle will allow the Division to be more capable and lethal in the Indo-Pacific. The plan is to field every JLTV in the Marine Corps by January 2034. III Marine Expeditionary Force will be fully fielded by July 2027. Several JLTVs have already been fielded to multiple training locations, and 3rd Marine Division has received its first fleet this month. Marines have begun training on the new vehicle and remain ready to fight tonight.